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TUFTS   UNIVERSITY   LIBRARIES 


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Carriage  Painting 


A  Series  of  Practical  Treatises 

ON 

THE  PAINTING  OF  CARRIAGES  AND  WAGONS, 
EMBRACING  FULL  DIRECTIONS  FOR  THE 
PRACTICAL  EXECUTION  OF  ALL  KINDS  OF 
CARRIAGE  AND  WAGON  PAINTING,  INCLUD- 
ING STRIPING,  LETTERING,  SCROLLING,  ORNA- 
MENTAL WORK,  VARNISHING,  TRANSFER 
ORNAMENTS,  APPLYING  GOLD  LEAF,  ETC. 


Each  Treatise  is  followed  with  Test  Questions 
:        :        :        for  the  Student        :        :        : 


By    F.    MAI  RE 

Author  of  "Modern  Painter's  Cyclopedia,"  "Exterior 
Painting,"   "Graining  and  Marbling,"  Etc. 

ILLUSTRATED 


CHICAGO 

Frederick  J.  Drake  &  Company 

PUBLISHERS 


COPTBIGHT    1911 

BT 

FREDERICK  J.   DRAKE 


PREFACE. 

1.  The  subject  matter  of  this  volume,, 
the  fifth  in  the  series  of  the  red  manuals 
"■Carriage  Painting,"  is  really  too  com- 
plex to  be  fully  detailed  within  the  space 
of  a  small  volume  of  the  restricted  num- 
ber of  pages  as  this  is  to  be.  There  are  a 
number  of  excellent  treatises  published  on 
carriage  painting,  and  outside  of  the 
gleaning  and  arrangement  of  the  matter, 
and  its  presentation  in  the  shape  of  les- 
sons graded  and  paragraphed  with  ques- 
tions at  the  end  of  each,  each  of  which  have 
corresponding  numbers  to  the  above  para- 
graphs containing  the  answers  to  the  ques- 
tions asked,  the  author  does  not  lay  any 
claim  to,  and  readily  acknowledges  that  he 
has  been  greatly  helped  and  inspired  by 
the  previous  work  of  others,  more  espe- 
cially by  that  of  "Practical  Carriage  and 

17 


18  PREFACE 

Wagon  Painting' '  by  M.  C.  Hillick,  whose 
presentation  of  the  subject  matter  is  mas- 
terly done.  Much  of  the  subject  matter  of 
this  volume  has  been  culled  and  re-ar- 
ranged from  that  masterpiece  of  carriage 
painting  literature  and  to  a  few  others 
also,  who  had  written  up  their  experiences 
in  some  of  the  " Trade  Journals." 

F.  Maire. 


Carriage  Painting 

LESSON  I. 

PRELIMINARY. 

2.  Under  the  title  of  this  manual  is  in- 
cluded a  great  deal.  Heretofore,  in  the 
volumes  of  this  series  of  trade  manuals, 
the  manner  of  using  and  doing  painting 
has  been  from  an  entirely  different  stand- 
point—with an  entirely  different  object  in 
view,  so  much  so,  that  much  of  it  will  have 
to  be  forgotten  in  order  not  to  become 
biased  and  to  have  one *s  mind  free  to  adapt 
the  principles  which  govern  "Carriage 
Painting." 

Under  this  general  name  it  must  be  re- 
membered that  it  is  not  only  the  painting 
of  vehicles  drawn  by  horses,  such  as  bug- 
gies, landaus,  carriages  etc.  that  it  cov- 
ers,   but    railway    carriages,    automobiles 

19 


20  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

and  every  form  of  vehicles  known;  there- 
fore it  has  become  one  of  the  branches  of 
painting  which  covers  a  field  of  vast  im- 
portance. 

The  principles  which  lay  at  the  foun- 
dation of  carriage  painting  mnst  be 
well  understood  in  order  to  comprehend 
all  the  various  operations  demanded  to 
produce  good  work.  When  these  funda- 
mental principles  are  learned  thoroughly, 
it  will  matter  little  upon  what  scale  they 
may  be  practically  put  into  play— whether 
in  an  up-stairs  shop  over  the  wheelright's 
repair  shop,  or  in  large  factory  rooms  or 
car  shops.  In  the  latter,  every  facility 
will  usually  be  found  at  hand  to  do  the 
work  rapidly  and  freed  of  much  of  the 
annoyances  usually  connected  with  the 
small  shop;  but  that  is  only  a  matter  of 
convenience  after  all,  for  the  work  itself 
must  be  done  in  much  the  same  fashion. 

It  will  be  the  object  of  the  next  lesson 
to  commence  the  study  of  the  principles 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  21 

which  govern  carriage  painting,  then  of 
the  material  and  tools  needed  in  doing  the 
work,  then  in  the  several  methods  of  do- 
ing the  work  itself.  As  nsual,  the  subject 
matter  will  be  treated  as  much  as  possible 
by  graduated  steps,  in  order  that  it  may 
be  well  understood  by  the  student,  and 
that  he  may  become  familiar  with  the  vari- 
ous operations  by  easy  steps. 

Some  of  the  finishing  parts  in  carriage 
painting  such  as  striping,  scrolling,  decor- 
ative painting  and  of  sign  work,  are  made 
separate  trades,  or  parts  of  trades  in  all 
the  large  carriage  shops.  As  each  of  these 
would  require  more  space  than  can  be 
spared  in  this  manual  in  order  to  give 
them  the  most  elementary  survey,  but  little 
will  be  said  regarding  them  with  the  one 
exception:  that  of  striping,  which  every 
carriage  painter  should  be  familiar  with. 
The  study  of  ornament  painting  and  that 
of  signs  will  form  a  separate  manual. 
There  are  some  excellent  books  published 


22  CAKEIAGE    PAINTING 

upon  the  latter  in  lesson  form  copiously 
illustrated— especially  that  of  Atkinson's, 
and  the  student  will  do  well  to  procure  it. 
As  this  manual  is  written  principally  for 
the  use  of  students  who  wish  to  take  up 
the  painting  of  carriages  in  the  smaller 
towns,  either  as  a  separate  business,  or 
in  connection  with  general  painting,  to  nil 
up  slack  times,  the  descriptions  given  for 
doing  the  work  will  be  found  more  ap- 
plicable to  these  smaller  shops  than  to  the 
large  factories.  In  these  everything  being 
specialized,  every  advantage  can  be  taken 
for  doing  the  work  quickly  and  safely, 
which  cannot  be  done  usually  in  the 
smaller  repair  shops— but  the  underlying 
principles  are  the  same,  and  when  well 
understood,  the  student  would  rind  no  diffi- 
culty in  understanding  their  application 
on  a  large  scale,  and  while  employed  on 
general  work  he  could  not  expect  to  ac- 
quire the  speed  of  the  men  who  are  spe- 
cialists, working  on  piece  work;  probably 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  23 

he  would  soon  acquire  this  extraordinary 
speed  by  practice  if  he  -took  up  some  spe- 
cialty. 

Having  outlined  the  manner  in  which  the 
subject  matter  will  be  handled  in  this  man- 
ual, the  next  lesson  will  take  up  the  study 
of  the  underlying  principles  of  carriage 
painting. 

LESSON  II. 

REASONS  WHY  LINSEED  OIL  IS  SPARINGLY  USED 
IN    CARRIAGE  PAINTING. 

3.  The  old  adage  heretofore  preached 
from  in  former  manuals,  i.e.  "Oil  is  the 
life  of  paint,"  must  be  forgotten  to  a  great 
extent,  when  it  comes  to  carriage  painting. 
Heretofore  the  surfaces  covered  with  paint 
were  stationary,  motionless,  and  with  the 
exception  of  floors,  were  not  subject  to 
abrasion.  The  worst  enemies  were  from 
atmospheric  conditions,  and  it  was  shown 
that  linseed  oil  was  a  capital  substance  to 
use  as  a  protection  against  these. 


24  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

4.  In  carriage  painting,  the  principal, 
and  only  nse  made  of  linseed  oil  is  in  the 
priming  or  foundation  coats.  No  work 
which  is  not  filled  and  made  waterproof 
can  be  expected  to  stand  any  length  of 
time,  and  few  of  the  many  make-shifts  or 
short-cut  methods  of  painting  carriages 
which  ignore  a  generous  use  of  it— in  the 
priming  at  least— can  be  depended  upon 
for  lasting  results  in  the  finishing  coats. 

5.  The  old  time  methods  were  very 
good,  but  were  too  slow  for  the  fevered 
hurry  of  the  present,  so  that  it  has  been 
the  aim  of  every  man  employed  in  car- 
riage painting  to  devise  some  way  whereby 
an  hour  or  two  could  be  saved  in  turning 
out  finished  jobs.  This  hurry  has  not  al- 
ways been  advantageous  to  the  durability 
of  the  finished  work,  even  where  the  resem- 
blance of  the  finished,  to  that  of  olden 
times  has  been  preserved,  but  the  work- 
man's protests  have  not  been  able  to  check 
the  demand  for  quicker  work.    Given  good 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  25 

material  and  a  reasonable  allowance  of 
time,  a  medium  course  can  be  pursued  in 
carriage  painting,  which  will  be  found  to 
give  fair  results,  both  as  to  a  good  looking 
finish  or  herein,  the  time  required  to  do  the 
same  in. 

6.  Were  it  possible  to  produce  such  a 
surface  as  the  fastidious  taste  of  the  day 
demands,  with  and  by  the  use  of  linseed 
oil  coats— there  is  no  question  but  that 
the  results  would  be  far  more  durable  than 
they  are  by  the  other  methods,  but  this  is 
impossible.  So  as  said  before,  the  use  of 
it  made  in  carriage  painting  must  be  re- 
stricted to  the  foundation  coats.  These 
are  not  confined  to  the  one  coat  or  first 
coat  as  in  structural  painting,  and  for  this 
reason  it  is  named  foundation  coats,  in 
order  that  it  may  not  be  confounded  with 
what  is  understood  as  priming  in  former 
manuals. 

7.  The  middle  coats  used  in  carriage 
painting  are  used  principally  to  produce  at 


26  CAKRIAGE    PAINTING 

surface  and  they  might  very  appropriately 
be  called  surfacing  coats.  They  should 
consist  chiefly  of  material  which  has  been 
mixed  with  such  liquids  as  will  allow  of 
their  being  spread  easily,  and  which  must 
possess  sufficient  adherence  as  to  bind  the 
material  it  is  mixed  with  into  a  hard  dry- 
ing mass  capable  of  being  leveled  up  to 
a  smooth  surface  by  rubbing  down  with 
pumice  stones.  These  intermediary  coats 
are  best  known  in  carriage  work  as  "fill- 
ing coats." 

8.  When  the  filling  coats  have  been  per- 
fectly leveled  and  smoother,  then  only  do 
the  coloring  coats  proper,  commence  in 
carriage  painting.  It  is  obvious  that  they 
should  conform  stricty  to  the  composition 
or  rather  the  elasticity  of  the  compounds 
used  in  surfacing  the  work,  for  it  is  obvious 
that  if  the  variation  is  any  way  noticeable 
the  finishing  color  coats  will  surely  crack 
from  their  inability  to  conform  themselves 
to  that  of  the  surfacing  coats  under  them. 


CAKRIAGE    PAINTING  27 

At  the  present  time  while  giving  a  general 
look  over  the  scope  of  carriage  painting  it 
is  not  the  purpose  to  inquire  into  the  why 
and  wherefore  of  things,  as  this  will  be 
done  when  that  portion  of  the  description 
of  that  part  of  the  work  is  reached.  The 
present  synoptical  viewing  is  merely  in- 
dicative of  the  progressive  stages  through 
which  a  carriage  passes  before  it  is  passed 
on  to  the  repository. 

9.  Carriage  work  is  frequently  striped 
and  ornamented.  When  this  is  done,  it 
follows  upon  the  last  color  coat,  and  when 
completed  the  jobs  are  ready  for  the  var- 
nishing, which  completes  all  that  the  sub- 
ject matter  of  this  manual  proposes  to 
treat. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  II. 

3.  What  is  said  concerning  the  use  of 
linseed  oil  in  carriage  painting? 

4.  What  use  is  made  of  linseed  oil 
painting  chiefly? 


28  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

5.  Wherein  do  present  methods  of  car- 
riage painting  chiefly  differ  from  the  old? 

6.  What  is  usually  understood  by 
"foundation  coats' '  in  carriage  painting? 

7.  What  is  the  object  and  purpose  of 
the  filling  coats  ? 

8.  What  are  the  last  coats  of  paint  used 
in  carriage  painting  called? 

9.  When  is  the  striping  and  ornamenta- 
tion done? 

LESSON  III. 

MATERIAL  USED  IN   CARRIAGE  PAINTING. 

10.  It  is  proper  before  the  study  of  car- 
riage painting  commences  that  the  stu- 
dent be  made  familiar  with  the  material, 
tools  and  appliances  that  are  needed  in 
doing  the  work.  Therefore  a  short  review 
of  these  will  be  made  before  proceeding  to 
give  the  details  of  the  various  operations 
necessary  to  finish  a  job. 

The  material  used  in  carriage  painting 
is  an  important  factor  in  the  prosecution 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  29 

of  the  work.  As  in  other  branches  of 
painting  it  means  that  good  material  is 
necessary  in  order  to  obtain  good  results 
in  the  finish.  It  will  not  be  necessary  to 
go  all  over  the  details  given  in  Volume  III 
entitled  " Colors' '  as  to  the  derivation  of 
each  color  used,  and  the  reader  is  referred 
to  that  manual  for  more  extended  details 
regarding  them.  Some  however,  such  as 
the  fillers  and  varnishes  which  received 
little  if  any  attention  in  that  volume  will 
be  given  sufficiently  extended  examination 
in  this  as  their  importance  demands  in  con- 
nection with  the  subject  matter. 

11.  As  may  be  expected  the  blacks  are 
the  one  color  of  most  importance  to  the 
carriage  painter.  Lampblack  in  oil  is 
used  usually  for  the  tinting  of  white  lead 
in  the  foundation  coats.  It  is  sometimes 
used  in  compounding  some  of  the  proprie- 
tary named  black  as  it  is  so  very  strong 
but  on  account  of  its  dull  gray  black 
color  it  must  be  touched  up  with  a  good 
bone  black,  or  gas  black. 


30  CAKRIAGE    PAINTING 

12  Gas  black  is  extensively  used  in  pro- 
prietary named  blacks  to  doctor  up  poor 
blacks,  or  to  compound  with  some  cheap 
make  weight  material  into  a  black  which 
imitates  the  bone  blacks  in  so  far  as  cover- 
ing properties,  and  strength  of  coloring 
matter  goes  and  pretty  nearly  in  jettiness 
of  coloring,  especially  the  ordinary  sorts  of 
bone  blacks.  By  its  use  a  fair  black  can 
be  had  at  a  lower  cost  than  by  the  use  of 
any  other  black  pigment. 

13.  Ivory  black,  coach  black,  drop  black 
are  about  one  and  the  same  thing—  bone 
black.  The  finer  qualities  of  this  black 
are  very  good  and  are  very  intense  in  their 
jet  tone,  besides  being  clear  and  free  of 
muddiness.  They  are  sometimes  improved 
by  the  addition  of  a  small  quantity  of 
Prussian  blue,  but  the  finer  qualities  do 
not  require  it  as  it  hurts  them;  in  time  it 
fades  out,  leaving  the  black  to  its  own  tone 
good  or  bad.  These  blacks  are  all  of  them 
rather  deficient  in  opaqueness  bone  black 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  31 

being  considered  a  sem-transparent  color. 

14.  The  blue  group  of  colors  is  used  to 
a  considerable  extent  especially  in  wagon 
and  automobile  painting.  Prussian  blue 
is  seldom  used  solid,  but  some  of  its  tints 
are  sometimes.  It  is  also  used  in  com- 
pounding some  of  the  green  tints. 

Ultramarine  blues  of  various  shades  of 
both  the  opaque,  and  transparent  varieties 
are  mostly  used  for  painting  solid  colors 
as  being  less  likely  to  fade  than  Prussian 
blue. 

15.  The  Brown  group  of  colors  is  well 
drawn  upon  by  the  carriage  painters.  All 
the  colors  found  in  that  group  are  used. 
The  raw  and  burnt  umbers  and  raw  and 
burnt  Siennas,  and  in  rough  stuffing  some 
of  the  special  earth  browns  called  umbers 
are  used,  beside  an  endless  variety  of  fancy 
named  browns  compounded  from  the  above 
named  colors  mainly,  and  many  others 
which  have  proprietary  names.  Van  Dyke 
brown  is  sometimes  used  as  a  glaze  and  a 


32  CAKRIAGE   PAINTING 

great  variety  of  brown  and  reddish  brown 
lakes  are  also  used  in  glazing.  The  stu- 
dent must  not  think  that  all  the  carriage 
browns  that  he  may  see  listed  are  distinct 
colors,  in  reality  they  are  only  tints  com- 
pounded very  much  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  same  would  have  to  be  prepared  for 
house  painting  only  that  for  carriage  work 
the  colors  must  not  be  ground  in  linseed 
oil  but  in  japan  or  varnish. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  III. 

10.  General  remarks  on  material  used 
in  carriage  painting. 

11.  What  is  said  regarding  the  black 
group  of  pigments,  especially  about  lamp- 
black? 

12.  What  uses  are  made  of  gas  black! 

13.  WTi&t  is  said  concerning  bone  blacks 
including  ivory,  coach  and  drop  blacks! 

14.  What  colors  of  the  brown  group  are 
used  in  carriage  painting! 


CAKRIAGE    PAINTING  33 

LESSON  IV. 

MATERIALS  USED   IN    CARRIAGE   PAINTING  CON- 
TINUED. 

15.  The  green  group  of  colors  is  also 
largely  made  use  of  in  carriage  painting, 
but  more  especially  in  wagon  and  automo- 
bile work.  Chrome  greens  in  all  shades; 
verdigris  and  Paris  green  for  glazing,  but 
more  especially  the  very  pretty  greens 
(transparent)  extracted  from  coal  tar— 
some  of  which  are  excellent.  In  carriage 
painting  proper  nearly  all  the  greens  are 
compounded  with  blacks,  and  simply  carry 
a  cast  of  green  the  black  predominating, 
such  as  the  Brewster's  greens,  bottle  and 
olive  greens,  which  in  addition  to  the  black 
also  carry  some  yellow  in  their  composi- 
tion. The  green  list  carries  also  a  large 
number  of  proprietary  named  greens;  as 
each  manufacturer  chooses  a  different 
name  for  goods  of  their  preparing,  the  list 
is  too  formidable  for  each  group  of  color  to 


34      •  CABRIAGE    PAINTING 

attempt  to  even  do  it  a  partial  justice  in 
the  naming,  therefore  none  such  will  re- 
ceive any  attention.  It  is  an  easy  matter 
in  the  smaller  shops  to  prepare  and  com- 
pound all  such  tints  from  stock  colors  and 
it  will  not  cost  as  much  as  the  carrying  of 
the  numberless  tints  that  are  offered  for 
sale.  In  the  large  factories  where  jobs 
are  turned  out  in  large  numbers  and  where 
each  color  must  be  ''semper  idem,"  it  will 
be  found  best  to  have  tliese  special  shades 
made  up  and  prepared  from  a  regular  for- 
mula at  the  factory. 

16.  The  red  group  of  colors  is  also 
largely  used  from,  in  all  branches  of  car- 
riage painting.  From  the  amaranth  reds 
used  in  running  gear  work  of  buggies,  etc., 
to  the  bright  vermilions  used  for  the  same 
purpose  in  wagon  painting  to  which  may 
be  added  even  the  painting  of  the  beds  in 
that  bright  garb.  Then  in  its  more  sub- 
dued shades  as  Tuscan  reds  in  railway  car 
work  and  in  short  reds,  either  bright  or 


CARKIAGE    PAINTING  35 

subdued  are  indispensable  to  the  carriage 
painter.  The  naming  of  the  reds  used  by 
the  trade  is  the  naming  of  all  the  leading 
reds  made ;  such  as  the  English  vermilions 
pale  and  deep.  The  numberless  imitation 
vermilions  known  to  the  trade  as  Vermilion 
reds  are  more  usually  accompanied  by  a 
high  sounding  proprietary  name.  The 
various  red  oxide  reds  are  better  known  as 
Venetian  red,  Pompeian  reds,  etc.  The 
great  variety  of  red  or  red  brown  lakes  are 
used  in  glazing.  Most  of  these  are  sold 
also  under  some  proprietary  name.  As  all 
dealers  usually  have  color  cards  showing 
what  the  true  color  of  the  contents  of  a  car 
looks  like,  it  is  easy  enough  to  pick  out  the 
right  color  desired  no  matter  by  what  name 
it  may  be  called;  especially  if  the  dealer 
sells  it  under  a  guarantee  of  permanency. 
17.  It  is  hard  to  say  which  of  the  several 
groups  of  color  is  the  most  useful  to  the 
carriage  painter;  all  the  other  groups  ex- 
amined were  found  useful,  and  indispens- 


36  CAKEIAGE    PAINTING 

able,  and  now  that  the  last  group  of  the 
colored  pigments  is  reached  ( ' '  the  yellow ' ' ) 
it  is  found  to  be  fully  as  useful  and  indis- 
pensible  as  the  preceding  ones.  Either  in 
a  self  color  as  in  running  gears  of  buggies 
carts  and  wagons,  to  the  solid  painting  of 
railway  oars  on  some  systems,  they  occupy 
a  very  prominent  place  indeed.  There 
seem  to  be  no  shades  of  it  so  bright  but 
may  be  used  for  some  purpose,  and  in  the 
tints  with  white  and  other  colors,  the  use 
made  of  the  yellows  is  very  great.  The 
ochres  enter  largely  in  some  of  the  tints 
made,  and  the  chrome  yellows  in  their  va- 
rious shades  probably  predominate  the 
list.  The  transparent  yellow  lakes  are 
also  used  for  glazing  to  some  extent. 

18.  The  last  group  is  the  whites ;  there 
is  much  use  made  of  them;  no  jobs  are 
hardly  ever  painted  in  any  color  no  matter 
which  it  is,  but  that  white  lead  enters  into 
at  least  the  preparatory  coats.  It  is  used 
also  largely  in  the  painting  of  business 


C  ARM  AGE    PAINTING  37 

Yfagons,  hearses,  etc.,  in  its  self-color  and 
in  combination  with  other  pigment  in  the 
preparation  of  a  number  of  tints.  It  is 
used  ground  in  oil  when  it  is  known  as  "keg 
lead, ' '  and  hereafter  when  that  name  shall 
be  used  it  means  that  kind  of  lead  and 
it  is  ground  in  japan  or  varnish  for  paint- 
no  other.  Then  there  is  the  dry  white  lead 
used  in  making  putty  and  surfacing.  Then 
ing  the  jobs  in  its  self  color. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  IV. 

15.  What  is  said  regarding  the  green 
group  of  colors? 

16.  What  is   said  concerning  the  red 
groups  of  colors  ? 

17.  What  is  said  regarding  the  yellow 
group  of  colors? 

18.  What  is  said  about  whites  in  car- 
riage painting? 


38  CAKEIAGE    PAINTING 

LESSON  V. 

MATERIAL  USED   IN    CARRIAGE   PAINTING— CON- 
TINUED. 

19.  Under  the  heading  of  materials  nsed 
in  carriage  painting  must  be  included  any- 
thing and  everything  useful  in  connection 
with  the  work,  not  merely  as  a  paint  but  in 
preparing  the  way  for  it  as  well.  This  ac- 
cessory material  is  as  necessary  in  its  place 
as  is  any  of  the  other  and  should  require 
as  much  attention  and  care  in  the  buying. 

20.  Pumice  stone— powdered  in  differ- 
ent degrees  of  fineness— the  Italian  is  the 
best.  The  American  being  gritty  will 
scratch  worse.  The  lump  pumice  stone 
which  should  be  also  the  Italian  kind  for 
the  same  reason. 

21.  Whiting  or  carbonate  of  lime  is 
useful  at  times  for  many  purposes  which 
will  be  noted  in  the  course  of  this  manual 
but  principally  in  the  preparing  of  certain 
kinds  of  putty. 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  39 

22.  Chamois  skins— which  by  the  way 
are  not  Chamois  skina  but  sheepskins 
tanned  in  a  particular  Way— are  also  hard 
to  get  along  without  in  carriage  painting 
as  they  are  useful  in  many  ways,  nearly  all 
through  the  preparing  and  the  finishing  of 
a  job. 

23.  Under  this  heading  must  be  a  long 
list  of  articles  and  material  used  in  the 
decoration  of  vehicles  such  as  gold  and 
other  metal  leaves.  Bronzes  also  of  all 
colors  and  qualities,  met  allies  and  flitters 
also  in  all  colors.  Transfer  ornaments  of 
every  kind.  In  short  every  thing  that  is 
ever  used  in  the  shop  for  the  purpose  of 
ornamentation. 

THINNERS   OR   VEHICLES    FOR    COLORS. 

24.  It  was  stated  at  the  beginning  that 
but  little  linseed  oil  was  used  in  carriage 
painting— but  that  little  must  be  good  and 
the  best.  The  raw  should  invariably  be 
used,  as  the  object  for  which  linseed  oil  is 


40  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

used  is  partially  defeated  by  the  use  of 
boiled  oil. 

25.  Volatile  oils.  There  can  be  no 
question  as  to  which  is  the  best  to  use 
where  there  is  any  choice  at  all  possible, 
that  is— " Turpentine."  It  is  head  and 
shoulders  above  the  petroleum,  volatile 
oils,  benzine,  naphtha  and  gasoline.  But 
of  course  where  they  ust  be  used— they 
are,  that's  all. 

26.  Japans  and  other  varnishes  are 
used  in  both  the  filling  up  coats  for  rough 
stuffing,  but  the  latter  more  especially  in 
the  coloring  coats  and  finishing.  Japans 
do  not  differ  much  from  varnishes  and  un- 
der that  name  all  kinds  of  liquid  stuff  is 
sold  in  the  market  which  have  nothing 
much  in  common  but  the  name  under  which 
they  are  sold.  The  formulas  for  making 
them  differ  so  much  that  it  is  really  impos- 
sible to  give  a  clear  definition  of  them.  In 
so  far  as  carriage  painters  make  use  of 
them  they  are  expected  to  bind  the  pig- 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  41 

ments  mixed  with  them,  and  to  have  but 
little  elasticity  at  least  no  greater  than  that 
of  the  supervening  coats.  Most  varnish 
makers  prepare  one  for  the  purpose  of  the 
carriage  trade  which  is  sold  under  the  name 
of  *  *  Carriage  japan, '  >  this  is  usually  to  be 
depended  on  when  made  by  a  varnish  house 
having  a  reputation  to  loose.  Varnishes 
for  the  carriage  painter's  use  are  prepared 
with  a  view  to  suit  his  various  requirements 
such  as  "rubbing,"  coloring"  and  "finish- 
ing," each  of  which  are  again  sub-divided 
into  quick  drying,  medium  drying  and  slow 
drying  and  again  into  elastic  and  non-elas- 
tic. There  is  a  varnish  prepared  for  any 
special  use  that  the  painter  will  ever  have 
and  the  only  trouble  with  him  is  to  pick  out 
the  good  ones. 

In  the  course  of  the  details  of  the  work 
proper  when  the  various  operations  are 
reviewed,  the  various  kinds  of  varnishes 
to  be  used  for  each  purpose  will  be  named 
under  the  appellation  given  them  by  the 


42  CAKKIAGE    PAINTING 

various  manufacturers  and  which  has  now 
become  universally  adopted  by  them. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  V. 

19.  Some  general  remarks  concerning 
accessory  material? 

20.  What    is    said    regarding    pumice 
stone? 

21.  What  is  said  of  whiting  or  oarbo- 
ate  of  lime? 

22.  What  is  said  of  chamois  skins  ? 

23.  What  ornamental  material  is  used 
in  carriage  painting? 

24.  What    oil    is    used    in    foundation 
coats  ? 

25.  What  volatile  oils  should  be  used? 

26.  What  is  said  of  japans  and  var- 
nishes ? 

LESSON  VI. 

TOOLS  USED  IN  CARRIAGE  PAINTING. 

27.  The  tools  used  in  carriage  painting 
are  not  very  numerous  nor  costly  and  must 


Fig.  1 
OVAL  CHISELLED  VARNISH  BRUSH 


44  CABRIAGE    PAINTING 

be  kept  separated  from  useful  devices  used 
in  facilitating  the  work  as  these  may  vary 
greatly  or  be  dispensed  altogether  if  neces- 
sary— but  the  tools  cannot,  without  some 
other  ones  which  would  have  to  take  their 
place  are  used  instead  of  them.  The  more 
important  tools  as  may  well  be  surmised 
are  the  "brushes"  and  these  are  made  up 
of  nearly  all  known  variety  of  hair  used 
in  the  art  of  brush  making. 

28.  The  heavy  brushes  used  in  carriage 
painting  are  usually  made  up  from  hog 
bristles  and  they  are  used  for  a  number  of 
purposes.  Fig.  1  shows  a  metal  bound 
chiselled  haired  (bristle)  varnish  brush. 
This  brush  is  useful  in  many  sizes  and  runs 
from  1.0  to  8.0.  They  are  used  in  priming 
coats  to  lay  color  with  and  may  also  be 
used  for  laying  rough  stuff  and  for  var- 
nishing running  gears  and  bodies  of  large 
wagon  work  which  is  not  to  be  finished  ex- 
tra fine.  They  will  be  found  useful  for  a 
wide  range  of  work  and  with  the  great 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING 


45 


Fig.   2 
ROUND  PAINTER'S  DUSTER 


range  of  sizes  will   come  as  near  being 
worthy  to  be  called  a  universal  tool  as  it 


4:6  CAERIAGE    PAINTING 

is  possible  to  call  a  brush  by  that  name  in 
carriage  painting. 

29.  Fig.  2  repesents  a  round  paint- 
er's duster.  There  is  no  economy  in  buy- 
ing a  cheap  one  and  a  No.  1  white 
coach  painter's  duster  will  cost  but  little 
more  than  a  cheaper  one.     These  do  the 


Fig.    3 
COACH   PAINTER'S   SPOKE   BRUSH 

work  so  much  better  that  it  is  foolish  to 
buy  any  other. 

30.  Fig.  3  represents  the  coach  paint- 
er's spoke  brush.  As  the  nama  indicates 
they  are  useful  for  spoke  painting  but  not 
indispensable,  as  many  carriage  painters 
never  use  a  specially  constructed  brush  fox 
that  purpose. 

31.  Fig.  4  represents  a  flat  varnish 
brush— these  run  in  sizes  from  1  inch  to  4 


CAREIAGE    PAINTING 


47 


inches  in  width  by  graduations  of  %  an 
inch.     They  come  also  in  single  and  double 


Fig.   4 
FLAT  VARNISH  BRUSH 


bickness  and  in  all  these  same  sizes  and 
aicknesses   in   chiselled   edge   which   are 


Fig.   5 
ARTISTS'   BRISTLE  BRUSHES 


CARKIAGE    PAINTING 


49 


usually  preferable  for  most  work.     They 
are  used  for  a  number  of  purposes,  and  a 


IlilM.nilMMMMMMIU,. 


H,  111  1 1 II  i  E II 1 1 1 1  i  I S  3J  1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11)11 


KL 


Fig.  6 
FITCH    VARNISH    BRUSH 


liberal  supply  of  the  various  kinds  will  be 
found   very   handy.     As    chiselled    edged 


50 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING 


brushes  are  shown  in  Fig.  4  it  will  not 
be  necessary  to  show  the  bristle  varnish 
chiselled  edge  brush,  as  that  indicates  the 
shape  fully  as  well. 

32.  Fig.  5  shows  artists '  flat  and  round 
bristle  brushes.  A  few  of  these  brushes 
come  in  handy  in  cleaning  up  and  filling 
quirks  and  beaded  seams.    They  are  inex- 


Fig.   7 
BADGER  HAIR,   FLOWING  BRUSH 

pensive.     They  number  in  sizes  from  1  to 
12. 

33.  The  finishing  varnish  brushes  and 
the  color  brushes  for  the  laying  on  of  the 
coloring  coats  require  finer  and  softer  ma- 
terial than  hog's  bristles.  Most  of  these 
therefore  are  made  up  from  badger,  bear, 
ox  hair  and  camel's  hair  (so  called)  such 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING 


51 


being  better  than  the  other  for  certain  spe- 
cific purposes.     They  lay  color  or  varnish 


Fig.   8 


CAMEL' S  HAIR  VARNISH  OR  COLOR  BRUSH 

much  more  smoothly  and  evenly  than  it 
is  possible  with  a  bristle  brush.     Fig.  6 


STRIPING  TENCILS 


represents  the  fitch  varnish7 brush, 
also  made  in  bear's  hair  and  sable. 


It  is 
This 


Fig.   10 
LETTERING  PENCILS 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING 


53 


brush   is   chiefly   used   in   laying  varnish 
coats. 

34.    Fig.  7  represents  the  badger  haired 


Fig.   11 
ARTISTS'    RED    SABLE   BRUSHES 

varnish,  or  color  brushes  as  it  is  used  by 
some  for  both  purposes. 

35.     Fig.   8   represents   the   camel  hair 
varnish  brush.     This  is  also  us.ed  for  both 


54  CAEBIAGE    PAINTING 

purposes  of  a  coloring  brush,  or  for  laying 
varnish.     (The  finishing  coats.) 

36.  Fig.  9  represents  striping  pencils. 
These  may  be  made  of  either  camel's  hair, 
sable  or  ox-hair.  Each  of  which  being  bet- 
ter than  the  other  for  use  in  light  or  heavy 
bodied  colors:  the  sable  brushes  being 
more  elastic  are  best  in  heavy  colors. 


Fig.   12 
SWORD    STRIPING    BRUSH 

37.  Fig.  10  represents  the  lettering 
pencils.  They  too  are  made  from  either 
camel's  hair,  Siberian  ox-hair,  or  red  or 
black  sable  to  be  used  in  light  and  heavy 
bodied  colors. 

38.  Fig.  11  represents  flat  and  round 
red  sable  artists'  brushes,  which  are  used 
in  the  painting  of  ornaments  for  which  they 
are  indispensable. 

39.  Fig.  12  represents  the  sword  strip- 
ing pencil.     By  its  use  a  stripe  may  be 


CAKRIAGE    PAIKTING  55 

made  of  various  width,  wide  or  narrow 
according  to  the  amonnt  of  pressure  given. 
They  are  best  for  the  making  of  the  finer 
stripes. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  VI. 

27.  General  remarks  on  tools  used  in 
carriage  painting. 

28.  What  does  Pig.  1  represent? 

29.  What  does  Fig.  2  represent? 

30.  What  does  Fig.  3  represent? 

31.  What  does  Fig.  4  represent? 

32.  What  does  Fig.  5  represent? 

33.  What  does  Fig.  6  represent? 

34.  What  does  Fig.  7  represent? 

35.  What  does  Fig.  8  represent? 

36.  What  does  Fig.  9  represent? 

37.  What  does  Fig.  10  represent? 

38.  What  does  Fig.  11  represent? 

39.  What  does  Fig.  12  represent? 


56  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 


LESSON  VII. 

TOOLS  USED  IN  CARRIAGE  PAINTING  CONTINUED. 

40.  Fig.  13  represents  putty  knives  of 
various  qualities.  They  are  either  rigid 
or  flexible  and  m&y  be  beveled  at  the  va- 
rious angles. 

41.  Fig.  14  represents  the  wide  scrap- 
ing knives.  They  are  indispensable  to  use 
in  rough  stuffing;  in  knifing  in  lead 
coats,  etc.  Some  should  be  beveled.  They 
are  also  the  best  tools  to  use  in  burning  of? 
paint  from  old  jobs. 

42.  Fig.  15  represents  the  gasoline 
torch.  This  is  of  great  use  in  all  repair 
shops  in  order  to  remove  the  old  paint  and 
varnish  from  jobs  to  be  repainted. 

43.  Fig.  16  represent  a  patented  brush 
keeper  which  has  projecting  wires  sol- 
dered on  the  inside  upon  which  the  brushes 
are  fastened  and  suspended  from.  The 
cover  is  a  protection  against  dust  and  dirt 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING 


57 


A 


B 


r     — - — - 


D 


— 


Fig.    13 
PUTTY  KNIVES 


settling  upon  the  brushes  and  the  liquid  of 
the  keeper. 

44.    While  the  brush  keepers  are  under 


A. 


B 


Fig.   14 
WIDE   SCRAPING  KNIVES 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING 


59 


consideration,  it  will  be  well  to  state  that 
the  one  shown  in  Fig.  16  is  merely  sug- 
gestive, and  any  other  which  will  keep  the 
brush  suspended  and  which  will  keep  the 
dirt  out  will  be  found  equally  effective  for 
use.  Below  is  given  an  inexpensive  way 
of    making   >an    individual    brush    keeper 


Pig.   15 
GASOLINE  TORCH 


which  will  be  found  even  better  than  the 
highest  priced  patented  ones.  Take  any 
small  tin  can  such  as  vegetables  are  packed 
in,  have  a  bent  wire  soldered  on  to  hang 
the  brush  upon  the  inside,  fill  it  with  the 
liquid  desired  and  place  it  inside  of  a 
Mason  fruit  jar,  place  the  cover  upon  it 
and  you  have  an  ideal  keeper.    As  it  is 


60 


CAKEIAGE    PAINTING 


much  better  and  safer  for  each  varnish 
brush  to  hang  suspended  in  its  own  liquid, 
and  as  it  requires  a  long  time  to  clean 
them  when  they  have  been  suspended  in 
a  different  varnish  or  linseed  oil,  it  will 


Fig.   16 
BRUSH   KEEPER 

be  seen  at  once  the  great  advantage  in  hav- 
ing each  brush  by  itself  in  an  individual 
keeper. 

45/  Sponges.  These  are  needed  at 
nearly  every  turn  in  the  various  opera- 
tions necessary  in  carriage  painting. 
Great  care   should  be   used   in  selecting 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING 


61 


Fig.  17 
REVOLVING   WHEEL   JACK 


them  as  sometimes  pieces  of  rock  or  grains 
of  sand  are  to  be  found  attached  to  them 
when  they  would  surely  mar  and  scratch 


62  CAEKIAGE    PAINTING 

the  work,  therefore  after  wetting  a  new 
one,  one  should  be  careful  to  go  all  over 
it  with  the  ringers  in  order  to  feel  for  such 
objectionable  stuff  and  remove  them.  The 
sheep 's  wool  variety  is  the  only  kind  fit  to 
be  used. 

46.  Fig.  17  represents  a  wheel  jack. 
It  is  simply  an  upright  piece  of  wood  into 
the  top  of  which  an  inch  hole  has  been 
bored  and  a  piece  of  wood  perfectly  round 
has  been  driven.  Upon  the  floor  another 
inch  hole  is  bored  and  a  square  piece  of 
flat  iron  is  screwed  on ;  in  the  center  of  this 
iron  a  hole  should  be  made  to  correspond 
to  the  one  in  the  floor  and  the  two  should 
come  together.  In  the  bottom  of  the  up- 
right a  piece  of  iron  rod  should  be  driven 
leaving  the  end  out  a  few  inches.  This 
end  can  then  be  put  into  the  hole  in  the 
floor  and  the  upright  wheel  jack  will  be 
ready  to  hang  the  wheels  upon  while  being 
painted.  They  can  be  revolved  to  any  de- 
sired position.     There  are  many  forms  of 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING 


63 


them  in  use  and  the  principle  upon  which 
they  work  is  capable  of  being  adapted  in 
various   ways.     It   is   a  matter   of   small 


Fig.   18 
BODY  TRESTLE 


moment  and  it  is  more  one  of  convenience 
to  the  painter  as  to  which  he  may  adopt. 

47.    Fig.   18  represents   a  handy  body 
trestle  upon  which  to  rest  bodies  while  be- 


64  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

ing  painted.  As  with  the  wheel  jack  there 
can  be  no  cut  and  dried  standard.  Each 
shop  usually  has  an  equipment  of  its  own 
to  facilitate  the  handling  of  this  class  of 
work.  The  principal  idea  being  that  there 
be  no  projecting  pieces  sticking  out  to 
come  in  the  way  of  the  painter  doing  the 
work  and  in  some  shops  ordinary  carpen- 
ter's horses  are  made  use  of  for  the  bodies 
to  rest  upon. 

48.  In  some  of  the  large  shops,  they 
have  a  number  of  conveniently  arranged 
tilting  devices — which  also  rotate  so  that 
bodies  can  be  painted,  at  many  angles 
These  are  handy  and  they  will  naturally 
suggest  themselves  to  the  operator. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  VII. 

40.  What  does  Fig.  13  represent? 

41.  What  does  Fig.  14  represent? 

42.  What  does  Fig.  15  represent? 

43.  What  does  Fig.  16  represent? 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  I    > 

44.  Describe  how  to  make  an  inexpen- 
sive brush  keeper. 

45.  What  kind  of  sponges  should  be 
used  in  carriage  painting? 

46.  What  does  Fig.  17  represent! 

47.  What  does  Fig.  18  represent! 

48.  What  other  devices  will  be  found 
useful  as  body  trestles! 

LESSON  VIII. 

PREPARING  NEW   JOBS  FOR  PAINTING. 

49.  New  wood  will  be  found  usually 
pretty  open,  especially  oak— full  of  pores 
which  must  be  filled  up  and  effectually 
sealed  against  any  possible  action  of  air 
and  moisture,  for  if  this  is  not  attained 
fully  in  the  priming  coats,  it  will  be  too 
late  to  try  to  do  so  in  any  subsequent 
coats.  As  it  was  seen  in  Vol.  1  the  func- 
tion of  priming  is  very  important  and 
should  not  be  slighted.  If  this  is  con- 
sidered   of    prime  "  importance    in    house 


66  CARBIAGE    PAINTING 

painting,  how  much  more  so  then  is  it  to 
be  in  carriage  painting. 

The  constant  motion,  wear  and  tear  to 
which  all  kinds  of  vehicles  are  subjected, 
requires  that  the  foundation  for  the  super- 
structure of  the  painting  proper  for  all 
kinds  of  vehicles  be  they  wagons,  buggies, 
carriages,  automobiles  or  railway  cars, 
should  receive  the  utmost  care,  for  if  this 
is  not  properly  attended  to,  no  amount  of 
first  classxwork  done  over  it— can  possibly 
stand. 

50.  It  is  usual  to  take  the  woodwork  to 
the  blacksmith  shop  to  have  all  the  iron 
parts  put  on  before  the  same  is  primed. 
No  matter  how  carefully  this  work  of  the 
fitting  on  of  the  iron  is  done,  it  will  be 
found  that  the  wood  will  be  soiled  by 
grease  and  other  undesirable  dirt,  and  it 
is  principally  for  this  reason  that  the  iron- 
ing should  be  done  before  the  priming  in 
order  to  give  one  a  chance  to  remove  it  be- 
fore the  priming  is  done. 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  67 

51.  To  prepare  the  job  for  priming, 
good  care  must  be  had  to  clean  it  and 
about  as  good  a  way  to  do  so  as  there  is, 
will  be  to  take  some  No.  1  sand  paper  and 
go  over  it  carefully,  being  careful  not  to 
cut  through  or  to  remove  any  angular  parts 
which  are  intended  to  show  on  the  car- 
riage parts.  Should  the  job  be  soaked  up 
with  lard  oil  in  spots,  it  will  be  necessary  in 
order  to  insure  perfect  safety,  to  put  some 
strong  solution  of  sal  soda  or  lye  over  it, 
let  it  stand  half  an  hour,  then  wash  it  off 
carefully  and  rinse  with  clean  water  in 
order  to  remove  all  traces  of  the  alcaline 
matter  from  the  wood  as  it  might  other- 
wise injure  the  oil  used  in  the  priming. 

52.  The  bodies  should  be  carefully 
dusted  and  cleaned.  They  will  not  require 
as  much  sand  papering  as  the  carriage 
parts  of  the  running  gears,  as  there  are 
much  more  numerous  ironings  on  the  lat- 
ter, especially  on  the  wheels  and  there  is 


68  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

but  little  need  of  the  blacksmith  soiling 
bodies  with  greasy  marks  at  least. 

53.  There  are  a  number  of  ways  in  use 
for  priming  carriage  jobs,  but  the  ordi- 
nary mortal  had  better  beware  of  them. 
Many  of  them  are  so  called  "patent"  and 
all  of  them  supposed  to  hurry  up  the  proc- 
ess of  turning  out  a  job  quicker  than  the 
old  fashioned  method  of  "lead  and  oil," 
but  the  latter  can  always  be  depended 
upon  to  do  the  job  while  the  others  may  or 
may  not,  with  the  chances  usually  being 
that  they  will  not. 

Lead  assimilates  unto  itself  a  consider- 
able quantity  of  linseed  oil  which  it  turns 
into  a  linoleate  lead  soap,  and  which  makes 
an  ideal  primer,  sinking  into  the  pores  and 
anchoring  the  whole  of  the  priming  coat 
securely  by  its  numerous  rootlets  which 
are  the  result  of  the  penetration  of  the 
oil  into  the  pores.  As  linseed  oil  does  not 
evaporate  but  on  the  contrary  absorbs 
oxygen  it  swells  slightly  after  it  is  applied 


CAKKIAGE    PAINTING  69 

and  thus  completely  fills  up  the  openings, 
sealing  them  up  effectually  against  any 
atmospheric  action. 

54.  There  is  some  difference  in  opin- 
ion as  to  what  really  is  the  best  primer  and 
as  to  the  proper  thinning  of  it.  This  no 
doubt,  is  mainly  on  account  of  the  quicker 
drying  of  it.  All  are  agreed,  however,  that 
white  lead  ground  in  oil  is  good.  This  sort 
of  lead  is  best  known  to  the  carriage 
trade  as  ' i  keg  lead, ' '  to  distinguish  it  from 
other  forms  of  lead  used,  such  as  "dry 
lead,,— "lead  ground  in  japan  or  var- 
nish" and  "knifing  lead,"  which  is  used 
in  surfacing  and  which  can  be  bought 
ready  prepared  for  use  or  made  up  in  the 
shop  as  desired. 

The  priming  should  not  be  very  thick, 
just  enough  pigment  to  color  up  the  oil 
to  which  may  be  added  enough  lamp  black, 
to  tinge  it  to  a  slate  color.  A  little  good 
drying  japan  may  be  added  in  damp  non- 
drying  weather,  and  when  it  is  very  cold 


70  CABBIAGE    PAINTING 

and  the  oil  is  any  way  sluggish,  a  small 
quantity  of  turpentine  may  be  added.  This 
will  in  no  wise  hurt  it,  as  it  will  render  the 
oil  more  penetrating  and  really  a  greater 
quantity  of  oil  can  thus  be  forced  into  the 
pores,  than  it  would  be  possible  under  the 
un thinned  condition— but  this  is  true  only 
in  cold  weather. 

Some  like  to  add  a  small  quantity  of 
good  French  ochre  to  the  lead.  This  is  all 
right  enough  if  a  silicate  ochre  is  used,  as 
that  is  of  itself  a  good  filler,  as  silica  is 
the  basis  of  nearly  all  the  hardwood  fillers. 
As  much  as  one  third  of  this  kind  of  ochre 
can  be  used  to  good  advantage  with  the 
white  lead  in  preparing  the  primer  for 
carriage  painting. 

The  above  will  suffice  in  order  to  enable 
any  one  to  prepare  a  good  primer,  and 
with  the  further  advice  of  using  only  the 
raw  linseed  oil  and  under  no  conditions  to 
be  tempted  to  substitute  boiled  oil  for  this, 
the  reader  will  now  be  ready  to  go  on  with 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  71 

the  application  of  the  priming  and  lead 
coats,  which  follow  in  the  next  lesson. 

;      QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  VIII. 

49.  What  is  required  in  preparing  new 
woodwork  for  painting? 

50.  Should  woodwork  be  ironed  before 
painting? 

51.  How  should  woodwork  be  treated 
after  the  ironing? 

52.  How  should  ironed  jobs  be  cleaned 
up  ? 

53.  What  is  the  action  of  the  priming 
coat? 

54.  What  pigments  and  thinners  are 
best  used  in  priming? 

LESSON  IX. 

THE    PRIMING   AND    LEAD    COATS. 

55.  The  application  of  the  priming  coat 
requires  really  more  care  than  skill.  The 
job  should  be  well  cleaned  and  dusted,  and 


72  CAKKIAGE    PAINTING 

it  is  hardly  necessary  to  caution  against 
this  operation  being  performed  in  a  place 
where  it  is  or  is  likely  to  be  subjected  to 
dust  or  dirt  to  fall  upon  it.  The  priming 
should  be  evenly  given  to  all  parts  of  the 
wood  and  should  be  well  rubbed  in,  not  only 
to  the  parts  that  are  to  be  in  sight,  but  to 
the  undersides  as  well,  in  short  to  every 
part,  in  order  to  stop  any  atmospheric  ac- 
tion upon  the  wood. 

56.  The  lead  coats  as  they  are  called, 
are  the  preparatory  coats  which  are  given 
to  a  job  before  the  coloring  coats  for  the 
carriage  parts,  or  the  rough  stuffing  pre- 
paratory to  the  coloring  coats  to  be  given 
to  the  bodies.       \ 

57.  To  the  running  gears,  the  lead 
coats  should  be  properly  called  the 
"surfacing  coats,' '  as  these  are  never 
rough  stuffed,  and  the  coloring  coats  are 
applied  directly  over  them.  The  same  may 
be  said  also  of  business  wagons,  panels, 
etc.,  which  are  also  sufficiently  well  surfaced 


CAKKIAGE    PAINTING  73 

by  that  operation  of  one  of  the  lead  coats 
called  " knifed  in"  lead  coat— of  which 
more  will  be  said  further  on. 

58.  Where  the  work  is  to  be  "  rough 
stuffed"  before  receiving  the  coloring 
coats,  the  proper  way  to  apply  the  '  •  first ' ' 
lead  coat  is  to  take  keg  lead  and  thin  it 
with  turpentine  and  raw  linseed  oil,  "half 
of  each."  The  above  thinning  produces 
an  eggshell  gloss,  and  while  it  is  good— it 
is  too  slow  to  suit  the  average  carriage 
shop  now  days,  so  to  hurry  it  up  and  to 
produce  a  harder  coating  (less  elastic), 
the  quantity  of  linseed  oil  is  reduced  and 
that  of  turpentine  enlarged,  so  that  the 
drying  will  be  quicker.  This  should  be 
applied  rather  thickly,  but  should  be  well 
and  very  evenly  brushed  out. 

59.  The  second  lead  coat  is  best  known 
to  the  carriage  painter  as  "flat  lead,"  as 
it  should  contain  but  the  least  possible 
quantity  of  linseed  oil  in  the  thinner,  and 
it  should  dry  without  lustre  or  gloss.     A 


74  CAKEIAGE    PAINTING 

large  tablespoonful  of  linseed  oil  will  be 
sufficient  for  a  quart  of  mixture  which  is 
to  be  thinned  with  the  turpentine  suffi- 
ciently to  be  applied.  Use  only  a  camel's 
hair  flat  brush  for  this  purpose,  as  a  bristle 
brush  will  not  lay  it  smoothly. 

60.  The  rub  lead  coat.  In  the  former 
directions  given  for  first  and  second  lead 
coats,  the  supposition  is  that  the  job  is 
to  be  surfaced,  levelled  up,  etc.,  by  the 
rough  stuffing  process  to  be  hereafter  de- 
scribed, but  for  running  gears  and  jobs 
which  are  not  to  be  so  prepared,  there  is 
no  better  way  known,  than  to  give  them 
what  is  known  to  the  trade  as  a  "  rub  lead ' ' 
coat.  This  may  be  prepared  from  a  good 
"keg  lead"  especially  ground  and  pre- 
pared for  the  carriage  trade,  or  prepared 
from  dry  white  lead  thinned  with  %  lin-J 
seed  oil,  %  turpentine,  colored  to  a  light 
slate  color  and  run  through  a  paint  mill. 
The  above  is  more  applicable  to  the  large 
shops  than  to  the  small  ones,  these  will  j 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  75 

find  the  former  way  better.  The  lead 
should  not  be  too  thin,  but  sufficiently  to 
brush  out  fairly  with  a  bristle  brush. 
After  it  has  been  applied,  it  should  be  left 
to  set  for  15  minutes,  then  the  operator 
should  proceed  to  ' l  rub '  ?  it  in  all  over  the 
work,  with  the  palm  of  his  hand.  It  re- 
quires a  longer  time  to  stand  before  coat- 
ing over  with  a  second  lead  coat,  than  with 
" first  lead"  as  described  before,  but  it  is 
far  better  and  produces  a  fine  surface  for 
second  lead.  This  second  flat  lead  should 
not  be  given  before  two  full  days  after 
the  application  of  the  first. 

61.  Knifing  in  lead  coat.  This  coat  is 
used  on  carriage  parts  to  the  exclusion  of 
the  rough  stuff  coats  used  for  the  surfac- 
ing of  bodies,  and  is  also  used  for  surfac- 
ing business  wagons,  etc.  Color  manufac- 
turers prepare  it  so  that  it  can  be  used  by 
thinning  only,  but  many  of  the  large  shops 
prepare  it  as  wanted  from  dry  white  lead, 
2  parts,  and  keg  lead  1  part,  thinned  with 


76  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

rubbing  varnish  and  japan  with  a  little 
turps.  It  will  be  well  to  add  enough  color 
to  the  knifing  in  lead  toward  the  shade  of 
the  finishing  color,  in  order  that  it  may 
cover  better  over  it.  It  may  be  applied 
with  a  bristle  brush  and  afterwards  the 
whole  surface  should  be  gone  over  with  a 
wide  putty  knife,  in  order  to  force  the 
knifing  lead  to  all  parts  and  to  afterwards 
remove  the  surplus  lead,  leaving  only 
that  which  is  required  to  give  a  job  the 
proper  leveling  of  the  surface.  If  the  job 
has  been  properly  done,  there  will  be  but 
little  need  for  much  sand  papering  in  order 
to  fit  it  for  subsequent  operations. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  IX. 

55.  How  is  the  priming  to  be  applied? 

56.  What  is  said  of  the  lead  coats  in 
general? 

57.  What  is  the  object  of  the  applica- 
tion of  the  lead  coats  to  the  running  gears  ? 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  77 

58.  How  should  the  "first  lead"  coat 
be  given? 

59.  How  should  "second  lead"  coat  be 
prepared  and  applied? 

60.  What  is  the  "rub  coat"  and  its 
object? 

61.  What  is  the  "knifing  lead"  coat 
and  its  object. 

LESSON  X. 

PUTTYING  AND  PREPARING  OF.  PUTTIES. 

62.  Putty  and  puttying  plays  a  very 
important  part  in  carriage  painting,  and 
as  to  whether  it  has  been  properly  at- 
tended to  and  the  right  sort  of  putty  used, 
will  make  or  mar  the  looks  of  a  job.  The 
novice  in  carriage  painting  is  very  apt  to 
slight  this  operation  and  to  think  that  too 
much  stress  is  given  it,  but  there  is  not 
half  enough  given  it  in  this  manual  in- 
tended for  beginners,  and  if  this  unat- 
tractive part  of  the  trade  can  be  grafted 


78  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

into  the  student,  so  that  he  will  appreciate 
its  importance,  then  the  space  given  it  will 
not  have  been  wasted. 

63.  There  is  no  one  single  sort  of  putty 
that  can  be  said  to  be  an  all  around  putty, 
that  can  be  used  for  all  purposes  for  which 
putty  is  used.  Each  and  every  kind  has 
a  different  function  to  fulfill,  and  must  be 
prepared  accordingly.  There  is  one  kind 
of  putty  which  is  in  universal  use  and 
which  comes  nearer  to  filling  the  use  of  a 
general  putty,  the  formula  of  which  is 
given  below  and  which  is  called  formula 
No.  1,  and  to  which  reference  will  be  made 
as  putty  No.  1. 

64.  Formula  No.  1.  Dry  white  lead- 
knead  this  with  a  thinner,  composed  of  half 
rubbing  varnish  and  half  japan— to  the 
proper  consistency.  This  will  come  as 
near  filling  the  purpose  of  a  general  putty, 
as  it  is  possible  for  one  to  be  made  for  such 
a  purpose. 

There  are  some  who  substitute  keg  lead 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  79 

in  various  proportions  in  combination 
with  the  dry  lead.  A  small  percentage  of 
it  is  no  doubt  good  for  several  special  pur- 
poses, but  the  formula  given  is  as  good 
as  any. 

65.  Formula  No.  2.  Keg  lead,  1  part; 
whiting,  2  parts;  thinner  to  be  composed 
of  equal  parts  of  varnish  and  raw  linseed 
oil,  mixed  to  a  stiff  paste  for  use.  This 
putty  is  to  be  used  on  old  jobs  which  are 
badly  splintered  and  rough  edged.  It  will 
dry  tough  and  will  not  flake  off.  It  can- 
not be  sand  papered,  however. 

66,  Formula  No.  3.  For  deep  holes- 
whiting  mixed  with  raw  linseed  oil  and 
japan,  equal  parts.  Then  into  this  mix- 
ture, mix  plush  woof.  Drive  a  small  head 
tack  or  two  in  bottom  of  hole,  and  then 
fill  in  nearly  level  of  the  surface  with  this 
putty.  Slash  a  couple  of  openings  into  it 
with  putty  knife  to  quicken  the  drying, 
and  in  due  time  level  up  with  regular  No. 


80  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

1  putty— (From  Hillick's  Practical  Car- 
riage and  Wagon  Painting.)  N 

67.  Formula  No.  4.  Dry  lead,  3  parts ; 
plaster  of  Paris,  1  part ;  knead  into  proper 
consistency  with  equal  parts  of  quick  rub- 
bing varnish  and  japan.  This  is  intended 
for  use  upon  shallow  cavities.  The  com- 
bination dries  hard  and  quick.  It  will 
be  found  valuable  in  repair  shops. 

68.  Formula  No.  5.  Finely  ground 
pumice  stone,  3  parts;  dry  lead,  1  part; 
mix  to  a  working  condition  in  thick  glue. 
Apply  the  putty  so  that  it  will  show  some 
above  the  surface.  After  10  hours,  rub 
down  with  lump  pumice  stone  and  raw 
linseed  oil.  The  above  is  made  especially 
for  filling  expansive  shallow  dents  upon  a 
carriage  surface— (From  Hillick's  Prac- 
tical Carriage  and  Wagon  Painting,  also 
the  following:) 

69.  Formula  No.  6.  Dry  white  lead, 
2/3;  keg  lead,  1/3;  rubbing  varnish  and 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  81 

japan  equal  parts;  mix,  and  into  this  mix 

the  woof  or  fine  pickings  of  velvet  or  plush. 

The  above  putty  is  especially  intended 

to  be  used  around  glass  in  heavy  carriages. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  X. 

62.  What  is  said  of  puttying  in  general? 

63.  What  about  the  several  kinds  of 
putty? 

64.  What  is  putty  No.  1? 

65.  What  is  putty  No.  2? 

66.  What  is  putty  No.  3? 

67.  What  is  putty  No.  4? 

68.  What  is  putty  No.  5? 

69.  What  is  putty  No.  6? 

LESSON  XL 

PUTTYING  AND  SANDPAPERING. 

70.  In  the  previous  lesson,  formulas 
were  given  for  the  preparing  of  various 
kinds  of  putty  used  in  carriage  painting, 
but  nothing  was  said  concerning  their  ap- 


82  CAKRIAGE    PAINTING 

plication.  In  the  following  paragraphs 
are  given  a  few  directions  which  will  be 
found  useful  for  the  purpose,  and  which 
if  followed  up,  will  make  for  good  work 
in  that  line. 

There  are  few  operations  in  the  car- 
riage painting  trade  which  require  more 
care,  and,  where  the  lack  of  it  is  more  likely 
to  produce  mortification  to  the  feelings 
of  one  who  has  neglected  to  properly  per- 
form his  work. 

71.  The  following  four  reasons  given 
by  Hillick,  are  so  well  calculated  to  give 
the  reader  the  "pith"  of  good  advice  in 
puttying  that  the  same  is  copied  verbatim : 

1.  Never  putty  on  the  priming  coat. 

2.  Putty  all  work  as  smooth  as  possi- 
ble. It  is  economy,  and  increases  the 
chances  of  doing  and  producing  first  class 
work. 

3.  Always  avoid  puttying  a  crevice,  de- 
pression or  cavity  in  the  wood,  or  a  joint 
between  two  pieces  of  wood  that  is  subject 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  83 

to  diverse  forms  of  resistance.  The 
wrenching  and  twisting  of  the  vehicle  will 
loosen  the  putty  and  eventually  eject  it. 

4.  In  puttying  over  nails,  plugs,  etc., 
press  the  pigment  firmly  into  the  hole,  fill- 
ing just  level  with  the  surface  and  care- 
fully slick  up  all  surplus  putty. 

The  above  if  followed  up,  will  not  lead 
the  novice  astray.  To  the  four  rules  given, 
may  be  added  a  caution  to  the  beginner 
not  to  overdo  his  work  by  leaving  a  hill 
where  none  is  wanted.  Do  not  use  more 
putty  than  "just  enough,"  but  not  too 
little.    There  is  but  one  time  to  do  it  right. 

72.  Sandpapering y  means  a  great  deal 
in  carriage  painting.  It  is  required  at  ev- 
ery step  and  after  every  coating,  in  fact 
even  previous  to  any  coating  at  all,  be- 
f  or  the  priming  coat  is  applied.  It  is  a  pity 
that  it  is  so  but  it  can't  be  helped.  The  dirt 
and  dust  resultance  from  its  use  could 
very  well  be  spared,  but  the  level- 
ing up  due  to  its  careful  use  is  one  of  the 


84  CAKBIAGE    PAINTING 

i 

sine  qua  non,  to  which  is  due  the  fine  fin- 
ished mirror-like  appearance  of  the  job, 
and  the  dirt  produced  by  its  use,  must  of 
course  be  looked  upon  as  the  thorns  in  the 
rose  bush  and  removed,  or  neutralized  as 
best  it  can. 

73.  For  the  smoothing  up  of  the  wood- 
work and  afterwards  of  the  priming  coat, 
No.  1  sandpaper  is  the  proper  size.  The 
lead  coats  require  %  sandpaper,  especially 
for  first  lead.  The  second,  or  dead  lead, 
requires  0  sandpaper.  One  should  be  very 
careful  not  to  cut  through  on  first  lead,  and 
while  the  rubbing  must  not  cut  to  the 
bare— it  must  be  gone  all  over  the  work, 
but  carefully.  The  second  lead  coat  will 
only  nee<J  a  light  going  over,  especially,  if 
it  has  been  put  on  with  a  camel 's  hair 
brush  carefully. 

What  has  been  said  regarding  first  lead 
and  second  lead  coats,  will  apply  to  rub 
lead,  and  knifing  lead  coats  as  to  the  proper 
size  of  sandpaper,  but  in  some  cases  a 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  85 

size  larger  may  have  to  be  used ;  it  will  all 
depend  upon  the  condition  of  the  work. 

74.  Mouldings,  sharp  edges,  etc.,  re- 
quire the  same  careful  going  over  as  stated 
above,  and  some  more  besides,  as  it  is  verv 
easy  to  cut  through  them  to  the  bare  wood, 
a  thing  which  must  not  be  permitted. 
While  nothing  has  been  said  heretofore, 
as  to  the  proper  time  to  dust,  this  is  very 
important  and  should  never  be  omitted 
after  each  sandpapering.  It  is  of  the  first 
importance  and  to  be  carefully  attended 
to  and  to  make  doubly  sure,  had  better  be 
gone  over  again  just  previous  to  the  next 
coating. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSONS  XI. 

70.  What  is  said  concerning  the  appli- 
cation of  putty? 

71.  Name  over  the  four  rules  given  for 
good  puttying. 

72.  What  is  said  about  sandpapering 
in  a  general  way? 


86  CAKRIAGE    PAINTING 

73.  What  sizes  of  sandpaper  are  best 
to  be  used  over  the  various  coatings? 

74.  How  should  sandpapering  be  done 
over  mouldings  and  sharp  edges? 

LESSON  XII. 

ROUGH  STUFFING. 

75.  Rough  stuff  hardly  indicates  its 
real  character  by  the  name  it  carries. 
While  of  course  some  of  the  material  it 
is  composed  of  may  be  rough,  yet  its  ma- 
nipulation and  application  requires  any- 
thing but  slovenliness  or  carelessness.  On 
the  contrary,  very  much  care  must  be  ex- 
ercised at  every  stage  of  the  operations 
necessary  to  conduct  it  to  a  successful 
termination.  When  the  object  of  rough 
stuffing  is  stated,  the  student  cannot  but 
see  that,  unless  it  is  well  performed,  its 
usefulness  for  the  purpose  will  be  de- 
feated, i.  e.,  that  of  perfectly  leveling  up 
of  the  surface.  The  giving  it  that  hard 
mirror-like  face  upon  which  to  color  and 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  87 

finish  the  job  by  varnishing.  If  this  per- 
fect smoothness  is  not  produced  by  this 
rough  stuffing  application,  it  will  not  be 
produced  later  by  any  subsequent  applica- 
tion, of  either  paint  or  varnish. 

76.  There  are  a  number  of  substances 
which  are  used  to  good  advantage  in  the 
preparation  of  rough  stuff— they  are 
mostly  earth  colors,  or  substances  of 
rather  coarse  atomic  formation,  which 
contain  more  or  less  silica  in  their  com- 
position, nearly  all  are  the  better  for  be- 
ing compounded  with  white  lead. 

The  thinner  used  is  usually  rubbing 
varnish  and  japan.  Turpentine  being  used 
to  thin  the  mixture  to  the  proper  working 
consistency. 

77.  The  following  formulas  for  prepar- 
ing rough  stuff,  are  taken  from  Hillick's. 
There  is  a  good  variety  of  them,  and  the 
directions  following  each  will  give  the 
student  a  good  knowledge  of  their  various 
peculiarities. 


88  CAKRIAGE    PAINTING 

Formula  No.  1.  ' '  To  3  lbs.  of  any  Ameri- 
can filler,  add  1  lb.  of  keg  lead.  Beat  well 
together ;  then  reduce  to  a  thick  paste  with 
rubbing  varnish  and  japan;  after  which 
reduce  to  a  working  consistency  with  turps. 
This  is  a  safe  one  coat  per  day  stuff." 

78.  Formula  No.  2.  "  Equal  parts  of 
filler  (except  English),  and  keg  lead,  by 
weight,  reduced  to  a  heavy  paste  in  quick 
rubbing  varnish  and  japan,  and  then  cut 
to  the  proper  working  consistency  by  tur-' 
pentine.  Two  coats  per  day  may  be  safely 
applied  with  this  stuff." 

79.  Formula  No.  3.  "5  lbs.  of  filler 
(still  excepting  English  filler) ;  2%  lbs. 
keg  lead ;  1/3  elastic  rubbing  varnish ;  2/3 
japan.  This  is  a  stuff  for  heavy  coach 
work.  Apply  a  coat  every  72  hours.  Do 
not  rub  out  under  3  weeks.' ' 

80.  Formula  No.  4.  ".(A  London  for- 
mula), dry  white  lead  ground  stiff  in  tur- 
pentine, P/2  lbs.;  ochre  or  English  filling, 
ground  stiff  in  turpentine,  4  lbs. ;  mix  the 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  89 

two  and  add  keg  lead,  %  lb. ;  add  1  pint 
of  japan  gold  size,  and  abont  %  pint  of 
the  bottoms  of  wearing  varnish.  Reduce 
this  with  a  little  turpentine  if  necessary. 
This  is  a  very  durable  and  elastic  stuff.' ' 

81.  Formula  No.  5.  "  (M.  Arlot's  for- 
mula). Grind  separately,  dry  white  lead 
with  spirits  of  turpentine  and  do  the  same 
with  unwashed  yellow  ochre ;  then  mix  the 
two  pastes  in  the  proportion  of  %  of 
white  lead  and  %  of  ochre.  Allow  the 
mixture  to  be  exposed  to  the  air,  or  tp  a 
gentle  heat,  in  order  to  evaporate  the 
excess  of  liquid,  and  add  gradually  small 
portions  of  good  drying  oil,  taking  care 
to  stir  and  beat  the  mixture  well  with  a 
brush,  as  in  distemper  painting.  The  paste 
thus  acquires  more  body.  Concerning  this 
stuff  the  author  adds:  It  is  possible  with 
this  composition  to  give  3  coats  in  one 
day 's  work,  but  after  the  last  coat,  we  must 
wait  48  hours  for  drying." 

82.  Formula    No.    6.      "English    filler, 


90  CABRIAGE   PAINTING 

3  lbs. ;  keg  lead,  1  lb ;  rubbing  varnish  % ; 
japan,  % ;  mix  to  a  stiff  paste.  Thin  to  a 
working  consistency  with  turpentine. ' ' 

83.  Formula  No.  7.  "English  filler 
mixed  with  rubbing  varnish,  %;  japan, 
%;  thinned  with  turpentine.  Probably 
English  filler  has  but  few  if  any  equals, 
and  certainly  no  superior,  as  a  rough  stuff 
pigment.  It  polishes  down  very  closely 
and  compact  as  to  texture,  giving  a  glass- 
like non-porous  surface.  It  requires  less 
lead  than  other  fillers,  because  of  which 
property  it  was  specially  mentioned  as 
excluded  from  formulas  2  and  3.  It  does 
not  surface  down  as  easily  as  some  of  the 
American  fillers  do,  a  fact  which  has  prob- 
ably limited  its  use  largely." 

The  above  give  all  the  varieties  needed 
from  the  quick  and  hard  to  the  slow  and 
elastic,  and  will  fill  all  the  needs  of  the 
trade. 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  91 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XII. 

75.  What  is  rough  stuff? 

76.  What  material  is  used  in  prepar- 
ing rough  stuff? 

77.  What  is   the   composition   of  for- 
mula No.  1? 

78.  What  is   the   composition   of  for- 
mula No.  2? 

79.  What   is   the   composition  of  for- 
mula No.  3? 

80.  What  is   the   composition   of   for- 
mula No.  4? 

81.  What   is   the   composition    of   for- 
mula No.  5? 

82.  What   is   the   composition   of   for- 
mula No.  6? 

83.  What   is   the    composition    of  for- 
mula No.  7? 

LESSON  XIII. 

HOW  TO  DO  THE  ROUGH  STUFFING. 

84.  Many  have  an  idea  that  it  does  not 
matter  so  much  about  what  kind  of  a  tool 


92  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

a  person  may  use  in  applying  the  rough 
stuff,  as  it  has  to  be  rubbed  down  and 
leveled  up,  any  way.  There  could  not  be 
a  greater  mistake  made  in  this  regard. 
The  smoother  and  the  more  even  the 
rough  stuff  is  applied,  the  greater  is  the 
chance  of  turning  out  a  first  class  level 
surface,  with  the  least  number  of  coats 
and  the  less  rubbing.  Therefore,  a  good 
springy,  nearly  new  bristle  brush  will  be 
much  better  than  a  worn  out  one  which 
will  make  brush  mark  ridges  in  applying  it. 
85.  In  applying  it  to  the  work,  care 
must  be  given  that  it  be  evenly  applied 
with  as  little  waste  of  time  as  possible,  as 
all  quick  setting  colors  can  be  worked 
level  only  before  they  commence  setting, 
therefore  there  will  be  no  time  to  com- 
mence a  long  winded  tale,  nor  stop  to  listen 
to  one,  but  from  the  time  the  application 
is  commenced  until  completed,  every  brush- 
ful  must  go  on  without  unnecessary  inter- 
mission to   the  termination   of  it.     Each 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  93 

coat  should  be  laid  off  in  a  different  di- 
rection from  the  one  preceding  it.  If  it 
has  been  laid  off  the  long  way,  then  the 
next  one  should  be  laid  off  cross  ways  to  it. 

86.  Unusually  four  coats  of  rough  stuff 
will  be  found  sufficient  to  rub,  but  while 
the  coats  should  be  applied  a  little  heavier 
than  ordinary  paint  coats  usually  are,  yet 
they  should  in  no  wise  be  so  heavy  as  to 
make  their  even  application  an  impossi- 
bility, and  it  will  be  best  to  give  the  job 
an  extra  coat  of  rough  stuff  if  it  is  needed, 
than  to  risk  putting  it  on  too  heavy 

87.  The  rub  coat  is  a  thin  coat  of 
rough  stuff  coats  in  order  to  act  as  a  guide- 
rest  of  it.  It  is  applied  over  the  other 
rough  stuff  coats  in  order  to  act  as  a  guide 
coat  for  the  rubbing.  Being  of  a  different 
color  it  serves  to  indicate  to  the  rubber 
that  he  has  cut  through,  to  the  real  rough 
stuff  under  it.  It  is  by  no  means  an  in- 
dication that  the  work  is  perfectly  leveled, 


iJ4  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 


however,  but  of  this  the  next  paragraph 
will  give  more  details. 

88.  For  rubbing  down  the  rough  stuff, 
provide  some  good  pumice  stone  blocks  or 
some  of  the  made  up  grit  German  rubbing 
blocks,  some  good  chamois '  skins  and 
sheep 's  wool,  sponges,  with  plenty  of  clean 
water  in  clean  vessels.  While  the  German 
blocks  may  do,  the  natural  pumice  stone 
makes  the  most  trustworthy  blocks  for  fine 
work.  The  lightest  in  weight  for  their  size 
are  the  best.  They  should  be  sawed  across 
the  face  and  filed  level,  and  occasionally  re- 
ceive a  dressing  in  order  to  maintain  them 
level. 

89.  Eubbing  rough  stuff  requires  care, 
and  to  a  certain  extent  skill.  The  surface 
to  be  rubbed  should  be  kept  wet,  but  not 
unduly  so.  The  motion  of  the  hand  should 
be  forward  and  backward,  never  in  a  cir- 
cular, uneven  stroke.  If  the  surface  of 
the  panel  is  bordered  by  a  moulding,  the 
edges  joining  the  moulding  should  be  done 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  95 

first,  in  order  to  avoid  coming  in  contact 
with  them  if  done  at  full  length  strokes, 
which  would  be  likely  to  knock  against 
them  and  mar  them  or  break  the  stone, 
which  will  make  grit  and  dirt  hard  to  clean 
up. 

The  novice  can  tell  when  the  stone  is 
cutting  just  right,  by  the  way  it  adheres 
to  the  surface,  and  if  the  least  atom  of  dirt 
gets  in  between  the  stone  and  the  surface 
being  rubbed,  he  can  tell  in  a  moment 
that  there  is  something  wrong.  The  stone 
at  times  accumulates  gumminess,  which 
prevents  its  even  cutting,  it  should  be 
looked  after  often,  and  cleaned  in  order 
to  have  it  always  in  good  condition. 

90.  After  the  rubbing  has  been  done 
satisfactorily,  it  should  be  carefully 
washed  off  and  afterward  dried  with  the 
chamois  skin. 


96  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XIII. 

84.  What  tools  are  required  to  apply 
the  rough  stuff? 

85.  How  is  the  rough  stuff  applied? 

86.  How  many  coats  of  rough  ttuff  are 
usually  needed? 

87.  What  is  the  "rub  coat?" 

88.  What  material  is  required  for  rub- 
bing rough  stuff? 

89.  How  is  the  rubbing  done? 

90.  How  should  the  rough  (rtmff  be 
afterward  cleaned  up? 

LESSON  XIV. 

THE   COLOR  COATS. 

91.  The  coloring  of  a  job  after  it  is  out  of 
rough  stuff,  as  it  is  called  after  it  has  been 
rubbed  and  cleaned,  is  a  matter  which  to 
a  certain  extent  is  governed  by  fashions 
and  fads,  and  also  by  the  kind  of  vehicles 
and  the  use  they  are  intended  for.     The 


CARKIAGE    PAINTING  97 

subject  matter  of  this  manual  covers  ev- 
erything in  the  vehicle  line  of  painting, 
from  an  ordinary  delivery  wagon,  on 
through  all  kinds  of  pleasure  vehicles, 
automobiles,  to  the  finest  of  passenger 
cars.  So  not  a  single  one  of  the  pigments 
in  use  by  decorators  and  artists,  but  are 
drawn  upon  for  some  of  the  work  turned 
out  by  the  carriage  painter;  more  than 
that  there  are  a  number  of  colors  which 
are  used  exclusively  by  him.  These  of 
course  are  mainly  proprietary  colors— but 
they  are  seldom  if  ever  used  by  other 
painters. 

92.  Each ,  color  requires  a  different 
treatment,  usually  from  any  of  the  others, 
or  at  least  has  some  peculiarities  which  re- 
quire that  it  should  receive  a  special  treat- 
ment, therefore  the  colors  of  each  group 
will  be  reviewed  under  their  various  group- 
ing, and  where  any  of  them  have  peculiar- 
ities requiring  explanations,  these  will  be 
given  under  such  headings. 


98  CARKIAGE    PAINTING 

93.  As  frequently  even  a  difference  has 
to  be  made  in  the  manner  of  applying  the 
various  colors,  the  proper  way  of  doing 
this  will  also  be  noted  in  the  reviewing  of 
the  various  colors  in  a  group. 

THE    BLACK. 

94.  The  Black  group  is  one  of  the  most 
useful  of  all  to  the  carriage  trades,  either 
by  the  use  of  its  self  color,  or  in  the  use 
made  of  it  in  combination  with  other  col- 
ors to  produce  dark  tints,  etc.  The  black 
group  gives  more  uniformity  in  the  vari- 
ous uses  made  of  its  several  members, 
than  any  of  the  other  groups,  and  the  man- 
ner of  applying  the  color  coats  is  nearly 
uniform  for  all  of  them. 

95.  The  directions  given  below  for  ap- 
plying colors  of  the  black  group  will  also 
apply  to  most  of  the  other  groups,  which 
are  of  an  opaque,  or  at  least  of  a  semi- 
opaque  nature.  The  pigments  of  the  black 
group  which  are  used  in  the  finishing  color 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  99 

are  not  of  the  most  opaque  sorts.  The  best 
of  them,  the  Ivory  or  Coach  blacks  are 
really  only  semi-opaque,  so  that  an  extra 
good  covering  is  anything  but  an  indica- 
tion of  good  quality,  but  rather  that  the 
color  has  been  doctored  up  with  carbon 
black. 

Therefore  if  one  coat  of  color  cannot 
be  made  to  cover  as  perfectly  as  desired, 
then  two  coats  should  be  given.  Never 
try  to  force  the  covering  of  a  semi-trans- 
parent color  by  giving  an  extra  heavy 
coat,  it  will  be  impossible  to  brush  it  out 
free  of  brush  marks.  Let  the  color  be 
thinned  sufficiently  to  brush  out  smoothly. 

The  colors  should  always  be  ground  in 
japan,  and  thinned  with  turpentine,  with 
the  addition  of  sufficient  varnish  to  bind 
it  so  that  it  will  dry  out  soft  and  velvety. 
The  only  brush  to  lay  color  is  a  camel's 
hair  flat  brush. 

The  above  directions  are  given  for  new 
work.    It  is  the  practice  now,  however,  to 


100  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

give  the  color  coats  in  color  and  varnish, 
as  it  is  much  safer  and  less  troublesome, 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XIV. 

91.  What  is  said  of  the  color  coats? 

92.  Why  have  the  painting  explanations 
been  grouped  according  to  the  colof 
groups  ? 

93.  Are  all  colors  applied  alike  in  car- 
riage painting? 

94.  What  is  said  of  the  black  group  of 
colors  in  a  general  way? 

95.  How  should  the  colors  of  the  black 
group  be  applied? 

LESSON  XV. 

THE    BROWN    GROUP. 

96.  The  Browns  are  used  mainlv  in 
wagon  painting,  but  occasinally  some  peo- 
ple even  desire  it  used  on  vehicles,  and  es- 
pecially so  in  automobiles.  Most  of  the 
browns  are  easy  colors  to  handle.     Some 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  101 

require  a  ground  color,  then  color  as  noted 
in  the  blacks,  followed  with  color  and  var- 
nish of  which  nothing  is  said  in  that  group. 
This  coat  is  mixed  with  varnish  and  tur- 
pentine and  should  show  up  quite  glossy 
after  drying.  It  holds  up  well  and  makes 
a  good  lasting  job. 

97.  All  the  transparent  browns  includ- 
ing the  Van  Dyke  browns  are  better  for 
having  a  ground  coat  prepared  and  ap- 
plied for  them.  A  preparatory  coat  pre- 
pared from  coach  black,  chrome  yellow  and 
red,  will  make  a  very  good  imitation  of  it, 
or  any  of  the  Vienna  umber  browns,  and 
when  glazed  over  with  the  colors  them- 
selves, produce  nice  effects,  and  can  also 
be  given  with  one  coat  of  color,  followed 
by  one  coat  of  color  and  varnish: 

98.  Vienna  brown  is  greatly  used  in 
the  painting  of  carriage  bodies  and  auto- 
mobiles, it  requires  a  ground  color  of  deep 
Indian  red,  then  paint  over  it  one  coat 
color,  and  one  coat  color  and  varnish. 


102  CAKRIAGE    PAINTING 

99.  London  smoke  is  a  dull  brown 
chiefly  used  in  solid  one-coat  work,  as  it 
covers  very  well  and  will  look  solid,  un- 
less the  thinning  is  greatly  overdone.  It 
is  mainly  used  on  running  gears. 

THE   BLUE   GROUP. 

100.  The  ultramarine  blues  are  the 
principal  ones  used  in  the  work  of  the 
carriage  painter.  It  gives  most  beautiful 
effects  and  certainly  is  very  pleasing  to 
the  eye.  The  best  results  from  their  use 
are  obtained  by  preparing  ground  for  them, 
and  using  the  ultramarine  blues  as  a  glaze 
over  these  grounds  in  color  and  varnish,  as 
all  glazing  colors  should  be  given  and  ap- 
plied with  an  inch  and  a  half  badger  color 
brush.  All  manufacturers  prepare  grounds 
for  their  ultramarine  blue,  and  these  come 
in  three  shades,  pale,  medium  and  deep. 

101.  There  is  often  a  necessity  for  the 
carriage  painter  to  prepare  his  own 
grounds.  These  are  made  up  from  Prussian 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  103 

blue  and  a  good  white  lead  ground  in  ja- 
pan, or  from  keg  lead  from  which  the  oil 
has  been  extracted  by  stirring  up  with  tur- 
pentine, letting  it  settle  and  pouring  out 
the  liquid.  A  most  thorough  and  intimate 
mixing  must  be  made  of  it,  or  it  will  show 
up  streaky,  or  specky.  The  above  advice 
will  apply  to  all  compounded  colors.  It  is 
very  much  harder  to  combine  all  parts  of 
color  together  into  a  homogeneous  mass 
than  rTlooks  to  be,  and  the  manufacturer 
is  much  better  prepared  to  do  this  properly 
then  the  painter  is.  It  is  true  that  some 
are  careless  in  this  regard  too,  but  they 
have  a  reputation  made  or  lost  among  car- 
riage painters  and  manufacturers,  who 
have  worked  up  a  good  trade  in  this  branch 
of  their  business  are  not  very  likely  to 
lose  it  by  imperfectly  combined  mixtures. 
102.  Beautiful  effects  in  glazing  with 
ultramarine  blue  result  from  glazing  over 
a  coat  of  very  deep  green.  The  results 
of  such  a  combination  are  always  pleas- 


104  CAKKIAGE    PAINTING 

ing.  The  glaze  colors  should  be  mixed 
with  elastic  rubbing  varnish,  and  put  on 
flowing.  Of  course  ultramarine  can  be 
procured,  that  is  sufficiently  opaque  to 
cover  solidly  in  one  coat,  but  no  such  del- 
icate and  rich,  aristocratic  tones  can  be 
obtained  from  it,  as  by  preparing  grounds 
first  and  glazing  over  them  afterwards. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XV. 

96.  What  is  said  about  the  application 
of  the  color  coats  for  the  several  groups? 

97.  How  should  Van  Dyke  brown  and 
other  semi-transparent  browns  be  used? 

98.  How   should  the  grounds   be  pre- 
pared for  Vienna  browns? 

99.  What  use  is  London  smoke  made  of 
in  carriage  painting? 

100.  What  is  said  of  the  blue  group  in 
a  general  way? 

101.  How  are  grounds  for  ultramarine 
prepared  and  painted  over? 


CAKRIAGE    PAINTING  105 

102.  What  effects  are  produced  from 
glazing  ultramarine  over  green  grounds? 

LESSON  XVI. 

THE  GREEN  GROUP. 

103.  The  greens  which  are  mostly  used 
in  carriage  and  wagon  painting,  either  for 
solid  painting,  or  as  grounds  for  other 
green  used  over  them  as  a  glazing  color 
are  Chrome  greens  and  these  are  com- 
pounded of  Prussian  Blue  and  Chrome  Yel- 
low. It  is  a  very  hard  matter  to  keep  them 
intimately  mixed,  and  in  spite  of  all  that 
can  be  done,  they  do  separate  with  the 
consequent  results  that  they  give  either  a 
cloudy  or  a  streaky  finish,  unless  great  care 
is  exercised  during  their  application. 

104.  There  is  no  way  known,  which  will 
prevent  this  separation  except  constant 
stirring,  and  this  is  the  only  remedy.  Be 
at  it  every  time  you  use  a  brushful  of  the 
mixture.    If  this  is  properly  attended  to, 


106  CAEEIAGE    PAINTING 

there  will  be  little  trouble;  if  not,  the 
trouble  is  sure  to  come.  This  applies  not 
only  to  the  greens  that  may  be  compounded 
in  the  shop  from  chrome  yellow  and  Prus- 
sian blue,  but  fully  as  much  to  those  al- 
ready prepared  by  the  manufacturers,  as 
these  two  colors  composing  it  are  com- 
pounded, but  do  not  unite  together.  The 
blue  being  much  lighter  in  weight  than  the 
yellow,  it  will  usually  separate  and  rise 
to  the  top. 

105.  All  the  other  compounded  colors 
from  greens,  such  as  the  Merrimac,  Quaker, 
Brewster,  Bottle  and  especially  the  Olives, 
require  great  care  in  their  handling  and 
manipulation,  not  only  as  regards  their 
settlings,  but  also  in  their  application. 
They  should  never  be  cross-brushed,  as  it 
will  surely  bring  out  differences  of  color 
and  streaks.  It  is  much  safer  to  use  the 
greens  as  flat  colors.  They  cover  well  and 
two  coats  will  always  cover  solidly. 

106.  Green    ultramarine,    Paris    green 


CAKKIAGE    PAINTING  107 

and  Verdigris,  are  all  transparent  greens, 
which  are  very  useful  in  glazing.  Many 
proprietary  green  carriage  colors  of  coal 
tar  extraction,  both  opaque  and  transpar- 
ent, are  being4  introduced  from  time  to 
time.  It  is  hoped  that  a  perfect  substitute 
for  Paris  green  which  may  be  non-poison- 
ous may  be  found. 

THE  REDS. 

107.  The  reds  are  widely  used  by  the 
carriage  painter  for  a  multitude  of  widely 
different  work,  according  to  the  shades  of 
it,  which  vary  from  the  glaring  scarlet  to 
the  subdued  magentas  and  warm  shades 
of  red  browns.  The  reds  are  derived  from 
widely  different  sources,  and  what  might 
be  said  of  one,  and  of  the  proper  way  of 
treatment  for  it,  might  be  altogether  mis- 
leading when  applied  to  another  and  so  on. 
So  nearly  every  red  will  need  to  be  treated 
according  to  their  individual  requirements. 


108  CABBIAGE    PAINTING 

108.  The  vermilions  have  a  wide  range 
from  light  scarlet  to  magenta,  and  accord- 
ing as  the  genuine  English,  so  called,  or 
the  numerous  imitations  of  it  under  hun- 
dreds of  proprietary  names  are  used,  the 
work  will  need  to  be  done  differently.  The 
imitation  vermilions  usually  cover  very 
well,  and  need  no  special  ground,  although 
some  are  the  better  for  a  pink  ground, 
made  of  Venetian  red  and  lead,  and  ap- 
plied as  a  color  ground  for  them.  In  fact 
no  error  can  be  made  in  using  it  as  such 
for  all  imitation  reds. 

109.  English  vermilion  requires  such 
a  ground  always— the  peach  blossom  pink 
is  the  best  and  it  should  dry  with  an  egg- 
shell gloss,  as  it  will  prevent  any  sinking 
in  of  the  vermilion.  The  first  coat  of  ver- 
milion should  have  considerable  gloss  too, 
and  the  last  should  be  color  and  varnish, 
carrying  a  decided  gloss.  Japan  should 
never  be  used  in  connection  with  quick- 
silver vermilion  and  it  is  needless  to  say, 


CAEEIAGE    PAINTING  109 

that  linseed  oil  never  should,   as  it  will 
darken  it  and  destroy  its  brilliancy  of  tone. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XVI. 

103.  What  is  said  of  the  green  group 
of  color  in  general? 

104.  How  are  green  colors  to  be  kept 
from  separating? 

105.  How  should  green  colors  be   ap- 
plied? 

106.  What  green  colors  are  mainly  used 
for  glazing? 

107.  What  is  said  of  the  red  pigments 
in  a  general  way? 

108.  What  is  said  about  the  application 
of  the  imitation  vermilions  ? 

109.  How  should  English  Vermilion  be 
applied? 

LESSON  XVIL 

BED  GROUP  CONTINUED. 

110.  Some   beautiful   effects    are   pro- 
duced by  glazing  English  Vermilions  with 


110  CAERIAGE    PAINTING 

carmine.  It  is  a  job  that  but  few  who  know 
how  can  tackle,  without  fear  and  trembling. 
In  order  to  give  the  student  the  best  there 
is  in  the  way  of  a  description  as  to 
how  it  should  be  done,  the  following  which 
is  extracted  from  Hillick's  book  will  be 
found  as  good,  and  more  easily  under- 
stood than  any  that  could  be  desired. 

111.  "For  warmth  and  brilliancy  of 
color  effects,  carmine  among  a  long  list 
of  gorgeous  reds  is  without  a  rival.  Car- 
mine is  a  glaze  color  exclusively,  and  the 
splendor  of  its  radiance  is  governed  ex- 
clusively by  the  ground  color.  Carmine, 
along  with  its  near  relatives  of  the  red 
order,  has  a  decided  tendency  to  face,  flake 
and  chip  off.  The  ground  color,  therefore, 
must  in  addition  to  being  faultless  in  color, 
density  and  surface  features,  be  possessed 
of  great  enduring  qualities.  It  must  be 
accepted  as  a  rule  worthy  of  practice,  that 
the  ground  colors  for  the  general  order  of 
reds,  should  be  mixed  with  a  binder  of 


CARKIAGE    PAINTING  111 

varnish  sufficiently  strong  to  impart  to 
them  when  dry,  at  least  a  faint  gloss— an 
eggshell  gloss.  A  gronnd  so  prepared  is 
fortified  to  counteract  the  fading  and  flak- 
ing properties  of  such  of  the  red,s  as  are 
used  as  glaze  colors." 

112.  "To  secure  a  first  class  job  of 
light  carmine,  bring  the  surface  level  and 
smooth,  and  then  apply  a  coat  of  peach 
blow  color,  made  of  white  and  some  of 
the  ordinary  reds.  Over  this  apply  a 
coat  of  deep  English  Vermilion,  using  the 
Vermilion  stoutly,  charged  with  rubbing 
varnish.  Polish  this  coat  when  dry  with 
curled  hair,  and  apply  a  second  coat  of  the 
Vermilion,  adding  a  sufficiency  of  varnish 
to  convert  the  mixture  to  the  color  and  var- 
nish class.  At  the  proper  time  this  coat 
should  preferably  be  rubbed  lightly  with 
pumice  stone  and  water.  Next  apply  a 
coat  of  clear  rubbing  varnish,  which  in 
in  due  time  also  demands  rubbing  with 
pumice  stone  and  water.    Then  to  rubbing 


112  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

varnish,  elastic  or  quick,  hard  drying,  as 
the  size  of  the*  surface  may  dictate,  add 
enough  No.  40  carmine  to  fully  stain  the 
liquid,  say  %  of  an  ounce  to  one  full  pint 
of  varnish  (many  first  class  painters  use 
%  an  ounce  of  carmine  to  one  pint  of  var- 
nish), and  apply  to  the  surface,  be  it  body 
or  gear  with  a  soft  badger  or  bristle  brush, 
For  a  less  expensive  job  omit  the  coat  of 
clear  rubbing  varnish  and  apply  the  car- 
mine directly  to  the  vermilion. ' ' 

113.  "A  method  easier  to  carry  into 
execution  in  painting  a  carmine  job,  con- 
sists in  adding  a  little  carmine  to  the  last 
coat  of  vermilion  color  and  varnish.  This 
coat  is  rubbed  with  curled  hair,  then  car- 
mine is  added  to  varnish,  as  in  the  first 
method,  after  which  a  small  quantity  of 
vermilion  is  put  in  to  give  the  mixture 
opacity  or  covering  power.  Clouding  and 
such  other  incidental  imperfections  to  be 
considered  in  connection  with  the  work  of 
one  not  really  an  expert  in  the  manipula- 


CAKEIAGE    PAINTING  113 

tion  of  glaze  colors  is  thereby  avoided. 
For  a  darker  carmine  use  a  ground  of 
flamingo  red,  carmine  red  (a  solid  color), 
road  cart  red,  kalliston  red,  or  permanent 
scarlet  dark  shade,  the  latter  requiring  a 
light  vermilion  ground. 

114.  "In  applying  carmine  to  wheels  it 
is  advisable  to  flow  the  whole  wheel  at 
once  instead  of  doing  them  in  sections,  as 
by  this  practice,  a  cleaner,  clearer  and  more 
satisfactory  job  is  secured.  For  the  gear  , 
do  the  whole  of  one  end  of  it,  before  wip- 
ing up,  and  then  the  final  end,  finishing  with 
the  reach  and  sidebars.  To  obtain  the  real 
purple  and  fine  linen  of  carmine  effects, 
the  color  and  varnish  requires  to  be  flowed 
on  freely  and  quickly,  and  promptly  slicked 
up.  Pottering  and  sectional  patching  up 
invite  inferior  results." 

The  above  gives  in  a  nutshell  what  is 
considered  the  most  difficult  of  all  color 
laying  by  the  carriage  trade.  It  gives  the 
best  way  and  also  the  next  best  to  it,  which 


114  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

is  very   good,   but   cannot  turn   out  such 
work  as  only  the  first  will. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XVII. 

110.  What  is  said  of  Carmine  glaze 
ove'r  English  Vermilion? 

111.  How  should  the  grounds  be  pre- 
pared for  Carmine  glaze? 

112.  Give  further  descriptions  of  it? 

113.  Is  there  not  an  easier  method  of 
doing  Carmine  glaze? 

114.  Which  is  the  best  method  of  ap- 
plying Carmine  glaze  to  wheels  and  run- 
ning gears  ? 

LESSON  XVIII. 

REDS  CONTINUED  AND  YELLOWS. 

115.  There  are  a  number  of  various 
reds  mostly  of  coal  tar  origin,  some  of 
which  made  from  paralin  and  madder  lake, 
are  nearly  permanent;  others  again  made 
from  cheaper  aniline  colors  are  more  or 


CAEEIAGE    PAINTING  115 

less  fugitive.  As  all  are  improved  in  tone 
by  the  use  of  ground  colors,  and  as  the 
manufacturers  usually  prepare  the  ground 
color  to  go  with  their  highly  seasoned 
named  goods  such  as  Oriental  red,  Otto- 
man, Flamingo,  etc.,  etc. ;  each  manufac- 
turer with  a  long  list  of  proprietary  names; 
it  will  be  well  to  use  such  grounds  according  ' 
to  directions,  and  it  will  be  found  that 
nearly  the  whole  list  will  require  over  the 
proper  ground,  a  color  coat  plus  a  color 
and  varnish  coat  over  it ;  in  no  case  should 
the  finishing  coat  be  a  dead  one. 

116.  The  dark  solid  iron  reds  such  as 
Indian,  Tuscan,  etc.,  come  usually  in  two 
shades,  pale  and  dark.  They  are  seldom 
used  by  themselves  but  usually  as 
grounds  for  some  of  the  lakes,  or  as 
grounds  for  the  so-called  wine  colors.  The 
manufacturers  also  furnish  the  ground 
colors  ready  prepared  to  suit  the  shades 
of  wine  colors  they  send  out,  better  results 
will  be  obtained  in  the  long  run  by  using 


116  CARRIAGE  PAINTING 

the  grounds  which  are  especially  prepared 
for  them.  They  should  be  finished  up  in 
color  and  varnish  as  related  in  the  preceed- 
ing  paragraph. 

117.  The  Red  and  Red  Brown  Lakes 
form  an  important  item  of  the  carriage 
painter's  stock  of  red  pigments.  All  colors 
designated  as  Lakes  are  used  only  as  glaz- 
ing colors  to  enrich  the  ground  or  solid 
colors  over  which  they  are  placed.  Many 
of  them  that  were  considered  indispens- 
able a  generation  ago  and  which  are  yet 
used  to  some  extent  are  anything  but  per- 
manent, and  why  they  are  used  at  all  is  a 
mystery.  There  are  so  many  of  the  lakes 
now  to  be  had  that  are,  or  may  be  desig- 
nated as  permanent,  being  made  from  ali- 
zarin from  which  is  derived  madder  lake 
that  there  is  no  excuse  for  using  the  un- 
dependable  sorts.  All  should  be  used  with 
considerable  varnish  as  noted  in  para- 
graph 115.  Under  the  "Pure  Food,,  law 
if  they  are  made  from  Alizarin,  or  contain 


CAEKIAGE    PAINTING  117 

the  equivalent  of  madder  lake  that  they 
should,  the  label  will  tell  of  it  and  no  one 
need  err  in  buying  them  blindly.  Most  of 
them  carry  some  proprietary  name,  many 
going  under  different  names  that  are  iden- 
tical, when  made  by  different  firms.  The 
mostly  used  ones  are  Munich  lake,  maroon 
lake,  carmine  lake,  carriage  part  lake, 
Chatenne  or  Cramoisi  lake,  etc.;  the  list 
might  be  indefinitely  enlarged  without  add- 
ing much  to  it  but  names  however. 

THE  YELLOWS. 

118.  Are  much  employed  in  the  paint- 
ing of  running  gears  of  vehicles,  and  in  au- 
tomobile and  wagon  painting  are  used  for 
bodies  as  well.  They  are  pleasing  as  well 
as  showy,  if  well  balanced  up  with  some 
complementary  and  harmonious  colors. 
They  require  a  somewhat  different  hand- 
ling all  the  way  through  the  job  in  order 
to  obtain  the  best  results  from  them. 

119.  The  yellow  pigments  no  matter  of 


118  CARKIAGE    PAINTING 

what  tone  they  may  be  should  be  placed 
over  a  white  lead  base,  and  the  running  gear 
should  be  painted  with  keg  lead  thinned 
half  linseed  oil,  half  turpentine  and  with 
a  tablespoonful  of  good  drying  japan  to 
the  pint  of  color  mixture.  The  first  coat 
of  it  over  priming  should  be  sandpapered 
with  No.  1  paper,  puttied  over  with  white 
putty.  The  putty  should  be  so  carefully 
well  done  as  to  need  no  sandpapering.  A 
second  coat  of  the  same  lead,  but  carrying  a 
trifle  more  linseed  oil  should  be  given  but 
applied  with  a  camel 's  hair  brush,  so  as  to 
lay  the  color  smooth  enough  to  not  need 
sanding.  Over  this  finish  up  with  a  color 
coat  of  the  yellow,  and  another  of  color  and 
varnish. 

120.  For  wagons  usually  the  same  treat- 
ment is  to  follow  for  bodies,  but  if  a  fine 
job  is  wanted  and  these  were  rough  stuffed 
then  wash  off  the  oil  from  keg  lead  with 
turpentine  or  benzine,  and  bind  the  lead  in 
rubbing  varnish  and  apply  two  coats  of 


CABBIAGE    PAINTING  119 

the  white  with  a  camel's  hair  brush.  Pol- 
ish after  each  coat  with  clean  curled  hair. 
Then  put  on  two  coats  of  the  yellow  color, 
the  last  being  color  and  varnish.  Arlot  the 
Parisian  author  and  a  recognized  author- 
ity in  coach  painting,  says  that  this  under- 
pinning with  white  prevents  the  fading  of 
the  yellows  from  showing,  and  Hillick  en- 
dorses it  for  doing  the  same  thing  here, 
and  hundreds  of  others  not  so  well  known 
but  who  -are  entitled  to  consideration  do 
the  same,  so  it  must  be  0.  K. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XVIII. 

115.  What  is  said  about  the  use  of  the 
proprietary  reds  in  carriage  painting? 

116.  What  is  said  about  the  use  of  the 
dark  reds,  Indian,  Tuscan  and  wine  colors? 

117.  What  are  the  various  red  and 
brown  lakes  and  how  should  they  be 
treated  ? 

118.  What  is  said  of  the  yellow  group 
of  pigments  in  a  general  way? 


120  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

119.  How  should  the  yellow  pigments 
be  applied  to  the  running  gears? 

120.  How  should  they  be  applied  to  the 
bodies  of  carriages  and  wagons? 

LESSON  XIX. 

THE  WHITES. 

.121.  This  will  end  up  the  color  coats 
on  the  list,  and  while  it  comes  last  is  by 
no  means  the  least  important.  It  is  used 
in  the  painting  of  all  kinds  of  business 
wagons,  and  for  all  kinds  of  uses  including 
milk  wagons  which  are  usually  painted 
white.  Busses,  hearses  for  children,  all 
must  be  painted  white,  and  white  will 
be  the  foundation  upon  which  some  very 
showy  business  wagon  ornamentation  and 
lettering  will  be  done. 

122.  This  lesson  is  entitled  the  whites, 
a  plural  designation  which  may  be  mis- 
leading, as  some  may  suppose  that  any  and 
all  whites  may,  or  can  be  used  in  carriage 


CARRIAGE   PAINTING  121 

painting.  The  plural  in  this  case  must 
apply  to  white  lead  or  to  the  many  makes 
of  it  including  the  flake,  whites,  kremitz 
and  Florence  white,  all  of  them  white  lead 
pure  and  simple.  Zinc  white  however 
useful  it  may  be  in  other  lines  of  painting 
should  never  be  used  in  carriage  work.  As 
adjuncts  in  preparing  some  special  mix- 
tures a  little  whiting  or  carbonate  of  lime 
is  made  use  of— but  not  as  a  coloring 
agent— on  the  contrary.  Its  use  is  simply 
a  mechanical  one. 

123.  The  process  of  progression  of  the 
painting  of  a  white  job  is  somewhat  simi- 
lar to  that  described  in  the  previous  les- 
son for  yellow— only  more  so.  The  job 
should  be  more  thoroughly  well  cleaned  of 
all  spots  and  stains  before  the  priming 
begins,  than  for  the  other  colors.  When 
it  has  been  properly  cleaned,  proceed  to 
give  it  a  coat  of  raw  linseed  oil,  well  and 
uniformly  brushed  in.  When  dry  sand- 
paper it  also  uniformly  alike.     Then  pro- 


122  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

ceed  to  put  on  a  coat  of  what  may  be 
termed  second  priming  of  keg  lead  thinned 
with  %  linseed  oil  to  %  turpentine  with  a 
teaspoonful  of  light  japan  to  a  quart  of 
the  primer. 

124.  The  puttying  should  be  put  on 
over  this  first  coat  of  white.  The  putty 
should  be  made  from  white  lead,  dry  and 
pale  rubbing  varnish  1  part  and  gold  size 
japan  2  parts.  This  putty  for  stopping 
holes  may  be  used  considerably  stirrer  than 
for  general  puttying.  For  glazing  it  must 
be  reduced  to  the  proper  consistency  of 
thinness  with  turpentine. 

125.  A  second  coat  of  what  may  be 
called  the  priming  white  coat  very  similar 
to  the  first  and  thinned  with  A  of  raw  lin- 
seed oil  to  it  of  turpentine  should  now  be 
given  the  job,  after  the  putty  has  been 
properly  sandpapered  and  dusted. 

126.  For  most  purposes  the  job  can  be 
surfaced,  and  the  coloring  carried  along 
without   the    special    rough    stuffing   de- 


CAKRIAGE    PAINTING  123 

scribed  heretofore,  although  on  the  very 
best  work  it  is  still  followed,  but  the  follow- 
ing system  will  give  nearly  as  good  re- 
sults :  mix  flake  white  or  any  other  special 
white  lead  of  great  body  and  good  color, 
bind  it  with  hard  drying  finishing  varnish, 
thinning  it  with  turpentine  to  reduce  it  to 
a  good  brushing  consistency,  applying  two 
coats  of  it  with  care  in  order  to  have  no 
brush  marks  showing.  After  this  give  a 
coat  of  hard  drying  finishing  varnish  to 
which  has  been  added  sufficient  white  lead 
to  kill  the  yellow  of  the  varnish.  This 
coat  should  be  flowed  on  full.  When  dry 
it  should  be  rubbed  with  pumice  stone  and 
water,  and  after  cleaning  give  another  coat 
of  color  and  varnish  which  should  also  be 
rubbed  and  cleaned  as  the  other,  and  an- 
other coat  of  color  and  varnish  applied. 
This  is  usually  enough  to  produce  a 
smooth,  solid,  clean  surface  of  good  lustre. 
If  it  is  desired  to  stripe,  letter  or  ornament 


124  CAKRIAGE    PAINTING 

over  this  it  can  be  done,  and  pencil  var- 
nished over  such.  , 

127.  Where  gold  or  any  other  leaf  gild- 
ing is  to  be  done,  the  finishing  coat  should 
be  flat  or  very  nearly  so,  as  otherwise  it 
will  be  next  to  impossible  to  prevent  the 
leaf  adhering  to  the  varnished  surface.  It 
will  be  better  to  let  the  gloss  coat  remain 
until  it  has  had  time  to  dry  hard,  not  less 
than  a  week  to  10  days,  then  rub  with 
pumice  and  water,  then  ornament  over 
that  and  polish  when  dry  with  rotten  stone 
and  sweet  oil.  For  cleaning  up  the  oil, 
dust  some  wheat  flour  over  it  and  clean  up 
with  a  soft  duster,  wiping  off  with  silk 
cloth. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XIX. 

121.  What  is  said  of  the  whites  in 
general  % 

122.  What  are  the  white  pigments  use- 
ful in  carriage  painting? 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  125 

123.  How  should  the  priming  be  done 
on  a  white  job? 

124.  How  is  the  putty  made  and  ap- 
plied? 

125.  What  is  said  of  second  coat  lead 
priming? 

126.  How  is  a  white  job  colored  and 
finished  without  rough  stuff? 

127.  How  is  the  ornamenting  done  on 
a  white  job? 

LESSON  XX. 

THE  ORNAMENTING. 

128.  Many  vehicles  are  finished  plain 
without  any  kind  of  ornaments,  but  many 
again  are  striped  and  otherwise  orna- 
mented and  business  wagons  sometimes 
very  highly  so  and  are  lettered,  also  serv- 
ing as  an  ambulant  advertisement  to  the 
firm  in  whose  service  they  are  employed 

■ 

and  no  doubt  many  times  paying  for  them 
selves  in  effective  and  far  reaching  adver- 


126  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

tising.  There  is  no  doubt  now  in  the 
mind  of  advertisers  that  money  expended 
on  good  wagon  advertising  pays  better 
,  than  in  any  other  advertising  agency,  as 
it  forces  itself  upon  all  classes  of  people 
if  it  has  been  well  done  and  frequently 
upon  many  who  would  never  look  at  news- 
paper advertising. 

129.  It  is  usual  to  go  ahead  and  varnish 
and  finish  a  job  with  varnish  before  the 
ornamentation  takes  place,  and  it  may 
seem  strange  that  the  details  are  here 
given  ahead  of  time  as  it  were  before 
the  finishing  process  has  taken  place.  It 
really  matters  little  about  that  when  it  is 
understood  before  hand.  The  reason  why 
it  is  here  given  is  that  it  is  frequently  the 
case  that  when  jobs  that  are  simply  orna- 
mented with  striping  which  are  not  se- 
riously dulled  by  the  varnishing  may  be 
striped  and  ornamented  at  this  stage  of 
the  finish,  and  the  final  coat  of  varnish 
given  over  it.     It  matters  but  little  really 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  127 

as  to  when  the  details  are  given  and  the 
operation  can  be  delayed  until  after  the 
final  varnishing  has  been  given. 

STRIPING. 

130.  The  striping  is  the  main  ornamen- 
tation given  all  vehicles  that  are  orna- 
mented at  all  and  frequently  consists  ex- 
clusively of  that.  It  is  really  the  most 
difficult  of  all  the  rest,  for  if  it  is  not  well 
done  it  will  show  at  a  glance  by  the  unev- 
enness  of  its  lines,  while  mere  ornaments 
may  look  fairly  well  even  when  the  lines 
are  not  all  perfectly  true.  It  is  therefore 
of  the  greatest  importance  that  the  ope- 
rator should  have  had  some  practice  in  or- 
der that  he  may  have  enough  confidence  to 
enable  him  to  produce  perfect  lines.  This 
confidence  can  only  be  acquired  by  prac- 
tice, and  while  not  very  difficult,  no  one  ever 
drops  into  it  without  practice,  and  some  re- 
quire lots  of  it  before  they  can  trust  them- 
selves to  do  it  right.     To  the  experienced 


128  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

it  is  as  easy  as  falling  off  a  log,  as  the  say- 
ing is,  and  some  of  these  frequently  do  ex- 
cellent work  when  they  could  hardly  walk 
straight  from  intoxication,  but  then  they 
are  experienced,  and  it  has  become  second 
nature  to  them  to  make  perfect  straight 
lines  of  any  widths. 

131.  Fig.  No.  9  gives  the  usual  shape  of 
striping  brushes.  For  the  lighter  weight 
colors  camel's  hair  will  be  found  the  best 
for  use,  and  for  the  heavy  colors  such  as 
flake  white  and  English  vermilion  the  sable 
and  ox  hair  stripers  of  the  same  shape  will 
be  found  better  as  they  will  not  sag  under 
the  weight  as  readily  as  the  others.  Fig. 
No.  12  gives  the  shape  of  the  so  called 
sword  or  dagger  striper  for  making  fine 
lines  with.  Many  prefer  to  make  them 
themselves  from  the  larger  sized  striping 
brushes  which  they  break  open  and  gradu- 
ate to  suit  themselves,  placing  the  hair  into 
a  red  cedar  stick  which  is  split  in  the  cen- 
ter and  which  when  properly  filled  is  tied 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  129 

around  above  the  split,  and  a  handle  is 
whittled  from  above  the  tie. 

132.  The  material  used  for  striping 
may  cover  the  whole  field  of  color,  but  in 
actual  practice  the  colors  are  not  numerous 
for  the  reason  that  but  few  are  sufficiently 
opaque  as  to  make  it  possible  to  make  a 
good  stripe  with  one  coat.  White  lead  or 
rather  flake  white  on  extra  good  bodied 
white  lead  and  the  chrome  yellows,  are  ex- 
cellent bodied  colors  and  also  pale  English 
vermilion.  The  above  colors  for  striping 
over  black  will  cover  in  one  coat.  For  strip- 
ing over  lighter  colors  however  a  much 
larger  number  of  fairly  well  bodied  pig- 
ments can  be  used  which  would  be  unavail- 
able over  a  very  dark  ground. 

133.  The  thinners  have  a  great  deal  to 
do  as  to  the  proper  working  of  the  colors 
in  striping.  Each  color  really  requires  a 
somewhat  different  manner  of  thining. 
Linseed  oil  is  not  the  best  medium  to  thin 
striping  colors  with   as  the  flow  will  be 


130  CARRIAGE   PAINTING 

rather  uneven  and  while  it  will  not  be  pos- 
sible to  present  an  absolutely  perfect  rem- 
edy a  mixture  of  varnish,  japan  and  tur- 
pentine in  various  proportions  to  suit  the 
colors  being  used  will  in  a  great  degree 
help  out.  When  oil  has  to  be  used  with 
some  colors  always  mix  it  with  quick  rub' 
bing  varnish. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XX. 

128.  What  is  said  concerning  the  orna- 
mentation of  vehicles? 

129.  What  reason  is  given  for  present- 
ing the  subject  of  ornamentation  before 
the  final  varnishing. 

130.  What  is  said  of  striping  in  a  gen- 
eral way? 

131.  What  tools  are  required  for  strip- 
ing? 

132.  What  material  is  used  and  how 
should  it  be  mixed? 

133.  How  should  the  colors  be  mixed 
for  striping? 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  131 

LESSON  XXL 

ORNAMENTING    CONTINUED. 

134.  The  striper  is  now  ready  with  pen- 
cil, material  and  with  a  few  previous  trials 
it  is  hoped  with  sufficient  experience  to  go 
ahead  and  try  his  luck.  He  will  be  called 
upon  to  make  the  following  named  stripes : 

1.  Hair  line— the  finest  made. 

2.  Fine  line— the  next  finest. 

3.  Stout  line— a  medium  fine  line. 

4.  Round  line— nearly  double  the  size 
of  3. 

5.  Narrow  stripe— nearly  double  the 
size  of  4. 

6.  Heavy  stripe— nearly  double  the  size 
of  5. 

After  that  the  striping  may  be  called  by 
the  actual  width  it  occupies  in  %,  %,  %  or 
1  inch  as  the  case  may  be.  The  extra  wide 
stripes  cannot  usually  be  made  at  one 
stroke,  so  that  the  two  outer  edges  are 
made,  and  the  center  may  take  care  of  it- 


132  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

self  and  if  need  be  can  be  filled  up  after- 
ward solidly. 

135.  In  the  larger  wagons  many  fanci- 
ful lines  are  made— some  consisting  of 
double  lines  of  equal  widths,  others  again 
of  a  heavy  center  stripe  bordered  with 
two  fine  lines  or  that  order  reversed,  a  fine 
line  in  the  center  with  a  flanking  of  two 
heavy  lines  and  any  number  of  other  com- 
binations. 

136.  Wagons  are  usually  ornamented 
with  fine  lines  of  striping  made  up  into  all 
sorts  of  fanciful  designs  with  here  and 
there  an  addition  of  free-hand  lines  in- 
terspaced with  said  short  stripe  work. 
This  is  much  used  on  springs  and  corners 
of  small  panels,  etc. 

137.  Scrolls  are  also  largely  used  in 
large  wagons  and  omnibus  work.  The 
space  that  this  manual  can  devote  to  the 
subject  of  ornamentation  will  hardly  suf- 
fice to  much  more  than  mention  it.  The 
reader  and  student  must  take  up   some 


CAKRIAGE    PAINTING  133 

good  book  on  decoration  and  on  scrolling, 
and  must  expect  to  devote  considerable 
time  to  study  and  practice  before  he  can 
expect  to  become  good  or  even  passable  at 
this  work.  Many  very  good  carriage  paint- 
ers never  attain  to  any  great  degree  of  skill 
in  ornamenting  outside  of  being  able  to 
do  some  good  striping,  and  it  is  not  given 
to  every  one  to  become  such— but  it  is  any- 
thing but  impossible  to  the  one  who  will 
try,  and  is  willing  to  give  the  proper  time 
to  the  study.  , 

138.  For  this  reason  and  also  because 
it  is  possible  to  do  ornamenting  much 
quicker  by  the  use  of  what  is  known  as 
1  'Transfer  paper' \  a  great  deal  of  this 
work  is  seldom  done  by  hand  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  as  it  can  be  bought  ready  made 
much  better  than  the  average  workman 
can  do  it,  at  much  less  figures— and  any 
one  can  put  them  on.  They  come  in  gold 
and  color  and  in  an  endless  variety  of  sub- 
jects, including  some  of  the  largest  sized 


134  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

gold  shaded  scrolls,  down  to  the  finest  of 
heraldic  ornaments,  gold  corners,  breaks 
and  even  lines  and  lettering.  These  orna- 
ments are  printed  npon  a  paper  which  has 
been  sized  with  a  preparation  that  swells 
and  slips  off  when  it  has  been  wetted  on 
the  back.  The  places  on  the  job  which  they 
are  to  occupy  must  be  carefully  marked 
out,  and  the  transfer  which  has  been  traced 
over  with  varnish  should  be  applied  and 
held  tightly  against  it  and  well  smoothed 
out,  then  dampened  on  the  back  with  clean 
water  and  a  sponge,  when  in  a  few  minutes 
the  paper  will  slip  out  and  leave  the  printed 
design  upon  the  vehicle.  It  will  remind 
the  average  workman  of  his  boyhood  days 
when  he  used  to  dally  with  decalcomanie 
designs  as  they  were  then  called. 

By  the  help  of  these  transfers  the  aver- 
age workmen,  especially  those  working  in 
country  repair  shops  need  not  be  afraid 
to  tackle  any  kind  of  ornamental  work, 
and  by  aid  of  catalogues  of  firms  handling 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  135 

carriage-transfers  he  will  be  able  to  tell  in 
a  few  minutes  just  exactly  how  much  the 
ornamentation  will  cost— which  would 
hardly  be  possible  except  in  shops  where 
the  original  building  of  such  vehicles  is 
made  a  specialty  of. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XXI. 

134.  What  are  the  various  stripes 
named  ? 

135.  What  is  said  about  the  combina- 
tion of  stripes? 

136.  Where  are  the  combinations  of 
stripes  and  free  hand  ornaments  princi- 
pally used? 

137.  What  is  said  of  scrolls  and  other 
ornaments  ? 

138.  What  use  is  made  of  transfer  or- 
naments on  carriage  and  wagon  work? 


136  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

LESSON  XXII. 

LETTERING  ON   WAGONS. 

139.  Lettering  may  well  be  reckoned  as 
a  part  of  the  embellishment  or  ornamen- 
tation of  a  vehicle.  Either  in  plain  colors 
surrounded  by  a  becoming  color  setting, 
or  done  in  colors  plain  or  shaded  there  is 
much  room  for  artistic  display,  not  only  in 
the  execution  of  the  lettering  itself  but  in 
the  proper  selections  of  the  colors  used  in 
doing  the  work. 

140.  All  that  has  been  said  as  to  colors 
and  the  mixing  of  them  is  applicable  to 
"lettering"  as  well  as  to  striping  and 
other  ornamentation  with  the  exception 
that  the  brushes  of  course  will  be  letter- 
ing brushes  of  the  kind  and  shape  suitable 
for  the  same  kind  of  work  anywhere  else, 
as  there  is  no  difference  in  the  execution 
of  the  same— only  that  a  little  more  pains 
must  be  exercised  in  order  that  it  may  be 
done  with  absolute  cleanness. 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  137 

141.  Some  styles  of  lettering  look  good 
on  wagon  painting,  others  again  do  not. 
It  is  possible  to  use  styles  of  lettering  upon 
a  sign  which  is  stationary,  that  can  be  read 
readily  by  a  person  who  is  walking  towards 
it,  or  past  it,  which  if  placed  upon  a  wagon 
passing  him  on  the  run  perhaps  would  ap- 
pear illegible  to  him.  Therefore  many  of 
the  ornamental  alphabets  which  are 
crowded  into  the  inside  of  the  various 
books  on  lettering  are  totally  unsuited  for 
wagon  lettering.  Plain  block,  either  capi- 
tals, or  lower  case  or  the  same  shaded,  look 
best.  Even  the  Romans  which  are  so  ele- 
gant in  form  do  not  do  well  unless  given  a 
much  heavier  thin  stem  than  usual. 

142.  Gold  work  is  always  in  good  taste 
and  looks  well  with  any  of  the  dark  colors, 
and  even  with  whites  and  other  light  tints 
when  edged  up  with  some  darker  color  to 
enhance  the  contrast  between  them  and  the 
ground  color.  It  will  be  unnecessary  to 
go  into  details  as  to  how  to  gild  properly, 


138  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

as  there  is  not  enough  space  to  do  so, 
neither  to  give  an  extended  lesson  as  to 
how  to  do  the  lettering.  Excellent  books 
upon  the  subject  are  being  published  and 
one  of  them  "Atkinson's"  with  "ques- 
tions" which  makes  it  a  valuable  aid  to 
students,  or  for  use  as  a  book  of  reference, 
and  the*  student  who  desires  to  learn  this 
branch  of  trade  and  which  really  is  a  sepa- 
rate one  from  carriage  painting  proper- 
can  do  no  better  than  to  procure  a  copy 
of  it. 

143.  Monograms  are  frequently  painted 
in  colors  and  gold  on  panels  of  coaches 
and  vehicles,  and  in  large  and  fancy  colored 
schemes  on  business  wagons.  This  re- 
quires considerable  skill  in  order  to  prop- 
erly balance  the  various  letters.  The  rule 
is  that  the  family  name  letter  shall  always 
be  the  most  prominent,  then  the  first  sur- 
name and  the  others  if  any,  to  follow  in 
importance— the  above  of  course  applies 
to   a   one   name   monogram.     In   business 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  139 

monograms  the  letters  of  two  or  three 
partners  should  be  very  nearly  of  equal 
prominence,  and  the  Co.  across  or  entwined 
between.  It  of  course  depends  somewhat 
upon  the  prominence  of  the  partners,  and 
a  junior  with  little  capital  in  the  business 
is  not  entitled  to  the  same  prominence  as 
the  senior  who  may  own  nearly  all  the 
business. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XXII. 

139.  What  is  said  of  lettering  on  wag- 
ons in  general? 

140.  What  tools  and  material  are  used 
in  lettering? 

141.  What  are  the  best  letters  to  use 
on  wagon  lettering? 

142.  What  is  said  about  gold  work  on 
vehicles  ? 

143.  How  should  monograms  be  gotten 
up? 


140  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

LESSON  XXIII. 

VARNISHES  AND  VARNISHING. 

144.  The  varnishes  used  in  carriage 
painting  of  whatever  sort  can  be  placed  in 
two  classes— hard  drying  and  elastic.  The 
first  or  hard  drying  class  could  also  be  des- 
ignated as  quick  drying— for  the  two 
usually  go  together  although  not  always  so 
but  as  a  rule  the  elastic  sorts  are  slower 
in  drying  than  the  hard  drying  sorts.  Be- 
sides the  above  divisions  varnishes  may 
be  divided  into  color  mixing  varnishes,  rub- 
bing varnishes,  gear  varnishes  and  finish- 
ing, each  of  which  being  graded  as  hard  or 
elastic  and  also  of  many  qualities  as  to  the 
composition  and  value  of  the  gums  enter- 
ing it. 

145.  Varnishes  are  never  prepared  by 
the  carriage  painter  as  in  the  old  times, 
the  processes  being  too  intricate  and  the 
technical  knowledge  required  to  make  them 
too  deep  for  the  average  workman.    There- 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  141 

fore  he  now  depends  upon  the  varnish 
manufacturer  for  all  the  goods  in  that  line 
that  he  needs.  The  manufacturers  have 
kept  in  close  touch  with  him  and  as  fast 
as  a  new  need  has  developed  for  a  special 
varnish  to  fit  it— such  have  been  evolved 
by  him  after  proper  experimenting.  Every 
manufacturer  tries  to  cover  the  field  of 
carriage  painters'  requirements  fully  and 
there  are  few  such  who  make  any  attempt 
at  catering  to  that  branch  of  the  varnish 
trade  who  do  not  list  at  least  a  dozen  or 
two  of  separate  carriage  varnishes  from 
quick  rubbing  to  wearing  body. 

146.  The  rubbing  varnishes  as  the  name 
indicates  are  intermediate  in  their  use  in 
carriage  work.  They  are  used  exclusively 
in  surfacing  up  the  colored  job  and  pre- 
paring it  for  the  application  of  the  finish- 
ing coat.  Its  application  requires  skill  and 
a  good  knowledge  of  how  to  judge  of  the 
surface.  The  rubbing  coats  should  never 
be  skimpted  on  nor  skinned,  for  as  sure  as 


142  CAEKIAGE    PAINTING 

it  is  not  given  full  the  dust  pits  will  surely 
show  while  if  properly  put  on  these  will  be 
absorbed  and  will  not  show. 

147.  It  is  usual  to  give  the  job  two  coats 
of  rubbing  varnish  and  a  third  one  called 
the  finishing  rubbing  coat,  but  from  the 
first  to  the  last  as  great  care  must  be  ex- 
ercised in  their  application  as  possible. 
Let  them  be  full  to  the  limit  as  only  full 
coats  will  give  that  proper  rounding  out 
which  is  brought  out  to  full  perfection  by 
the  flowing  finishing  coat.  It  is  the  only 
way  to  apply  varnish  which  will  prevent 
the  showing  of  brush  marks. 

148.  The  best  devices  upon  which  to  do 
body  varnishing  is  upon  stands  which  can 
be  titled  to  any  angle  desired.  Of  course 
all  the  large  shops  are  equipped  with  a 
variety  of  tilting  stands  to  suit  their  spe- 
cial requirements.  Any  handy  mechanic 
can  readily  make  them. 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  143 

SURFACING  THE  RUBBING  VARNISH  COATS. 

149.  The  job  it  is  supposed  has  been 
given  the  full  length  of  time  required  for 
the  proper  drying  of  the  coats  according 
to  the  manufacturer's  directions  which  are 
usually  placed  upon  the  cans  containing 
the  rubbing  varnish;  then  it  is  ready  for 
the  surfacing.  In  order  to  do  this  work 
advantageously  and  with  the  least  waste 
of  time  and  labor,  everything  required  for 
its  performance  should  be  placed  so  it  can 
readily  be  reached.  Galvanized  iron  pails 
to  hold  the  water,  some  good  sheep's  wool 
sponges  and  chamois  skins.  Felt  rubbing 
pads  and  a  box  containing  0  or  00  pul- 
verized pumice  stone.  The  water  used 
should  be  cistern  water  and  soft.  If  at  all 
hard,  some  washing  soda,  or  carbonate  of 
soda  should  be  put  into  it  in  order  to  break 
its  hardness.  One  teaspoonful  will  be 
enough  for  the  purpose  to  the  pailful  of 
water. 


144  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XXIII. 

144.  What  is  said  of  varnishes  in  a 
general  way? 

145.  What  various  grades  of  varnishes 
are  used  in  carriage  painting! 

146.  How  should  the  rubbing  varnish 
coats  be  put  on? 

147.  How  many  coats  of  rubbing  var- 
nish are  usually  required? 

148.  What  is  said  of  the  tilting  stands  ? 

149.  What  tools  are  required  for  sur- 
facing rubbing  varnish? 

LESSON  XXIV. 

VARNISHING  CONTINUED. 

150.  The  surface  of  the  job  to  be  rubbed 
should  be  first  washed  with  clean  water. 
Then  take  up  the  rubbing  pad  and  dip  it 
lightly  in  clear  water  then  afterward  into 
the  powdered  pumice  stone  then  over  to 
the  surface  to  be  rubbed.  The  rubbing 
should  be  done  lightly  at  first  and  the  pres- 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  145 

sure  gradually  increased  until  the  full 
force  allowable  is  applied.  The  mould- 
ings and  outer  edges  should  be  rubbed 
first  and  the  work  proceed  on  toward  the 
center,  where  it  is  finished.  It  is  a  hard 
matter  to  state  exactly  "how  to  rub"  just 
right,  nothing  but  experience  can  teach 
that.  A  good  rule  is  to  rub  lightly  over 
the  first  coat  of  rubbing  varnsh,  increas- 
ing the  pressure  on  the  second  and  so  on 
to  the  third  or  fourth  or  as  many  coats  as 
are  given  sometimes.  Too  much  pumice 
stone  or  too  much  water  should  be  avoided 
as  much  as  possible  nor  should  the  pumice 
stone  be  allowed  to  dry  upon  the  surface. 

151.  The  rubbed  surface  should  be 
washed  with  clean  water  and  a  sponge  as 
soon  as  the  rubbing  is  done  in  that  part 
and  a  change  is  made  to  rub  another  por- 
tion ;  in  that  way  there  will  be  no  chance  of 
the  pumice  drying  on  the  job.  Bear  in 
mind  to  do  the  work  evenly  and  uniformly 
all  over  alike  including  the  corners,  etc. 


146  CAKEIAGE    PAINTING 

When  one  is  able  to  do  that  he  is  then  fully 
entitled  to  the  distinction  of  being  called 
a  good  rubber  which  by  the  way  is  a  title 
which  does  not  fit  the  green  one  as  a  rule, 
for  the  good  rubber  usually  is  made  but 
not  created,  nor  does  he  drop  into  it  as  a 
drop  of  rain  to  the  earth. 

152.  'After  the  job  has  been  rubbed  all 
over,  a  general  cleaning  up  should  take 
place.  To  do  this  properly,  every  chamois 
skin  and  sponge  as  well  as  the  water  must 
be  absolutely  clean,  and  used  for  that  pur- 
pose only,  and  as  soon  as  the  washing  and 
cleaning  has  been  done,  they  should  be 
rinsed  beyond  a  doubt  as  to  their  cleanness 
and  stored  away  in  a  dust-proof  closet. 
This  cleaning  must  be  done  first  on  the  in- 
side of  the  job  and  every  part  of  it  must 
be  washed  free  of  grit,  or  the  finishing  flow- 
ing coat  will  not  be  as  good  as  it  should, 
therefore  there  cannot  be  too  much  said  in 
recommending  absolute  thoroughness  in  its 
performance.    The     flowing     varnish     is 


CAREIAGE    PAINTING  147 

pretty  sure  to  find  every  speck  of  grit  and 
to  bring  the  same  in  full  sight  or  to  roll  it 
around  and  scratch. 

153.  The  flowing  coat  of  finishing  var- 
nish should  always  be  given  a  job  as  soon 
as  it  is  dry  from  the  final  washing  and 
cleaning  up  after  the  rubbing.  If  for  any 
reason  it  should  have  to  be  left  overnight 
before  the  varnishing  takes  place  it  should 
receive  a  light  rubbing  the  next  day  before 
it  is  applied.  The  reason  for  this  is  that 
the  surface  will  be  scummed  over  with  a 
light  coat  of  something  caused  by  oxida- 
tion, and  which  will  greatly  hinder  the  good 
work  intended  by  giving  the  job  its  final 
coating. 

154.  To  resume  into  a  few  rules  the 
pith  of  good  rubbing  as  they  have  been 
given  by  Hillick  they  are  given  below: 

No.  1.  Use  roll  or  blocked  broadcloth 
or  felt  rubbing  pads. 

No.  2.  Direct  the  rubbing  strokes  all  in 
one  direction  and  lengthwise  of  the  panels. 


148  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

No.  3.  Avoid  the  excessive  use  of 
pumice  stone  or  water  and  indulge  in  not 
too  heavily  applied  pressure  of  the  rub- 
bing cloth.  Moderate  pressure  uniformly 
sustained,  is  the  correct  practice. 

No.  4.  Maintain  constantly  and  at  all 
times,  a  conspicuously  clean  washing  up 
kit;  and  in  washing  the  surface  do  not 
stop  short  of  having  it  unmistakably  and 
shiningly  clean. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XXIV. 

150.  How  should  the  rubbing  be  done? 

151.  How  should  the  powdered  pumice 
stone  be  cleaned  up? 

152.  What  is  said  of  the  final  cleaning 
up? 

153.  Should  a  job  be  cleaned  up  very 
long  before  the  flowing  finishing  coat  is 
given  f 

154.  Eepeat  the"  four  rules  given  for 
doing  good  rubbing. 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  149 

LESSON  XXV. 

VARNISHING    CONTINUED. 

,  155.  The  proper  location  of  a  varnish 
room  for  finishing  coat  and  indeed  for  all 
coats,  is  an  all  important  item  for  it  is 
next  to  impossible  to  do  a  good  job  of  var- 
nishes if  the  proper  conditions  for  doing 
good  varnishing  are  not  maintained.  The 
requisites  for  a  good  varnish  room  are 
many.  The  most  important  one  perhaps 
is  the  possibility  of  perfect  cleanliness,  and 
consequent  freedom  of  dnst  and  dirt.  Then 
of  nearly  of  as  much  importance  a  room 
where  the  proper  amount  of  temperature 
and  ventilation  can  be  kept  up  at  will.  It 
has  already  been  noticed  that  shops  which 
can  be  steam  heated  are  better  than  those 
heated  by  hot  air  or  stoves. 

156.  The  floor  of  the  varnish  room 
should  be  tight,  and  then  it  can  be  swept 
up  clean  and  given  a  coat  of  the  patent 
oily  coarse   sweeping  mixture  which  at- 


150  CARKIAGE    PAINTING 

tract  every  particle  of  dust  into  itself  in- 
stead of  scatterng  it  into  the  atmosphere 
of  the  room  to  be  later  on  deposited  npon 
the  varnished  job.  The  next  best  thing  is 
to  take  dampened  sawdust,  scatter  it  over 
the  floor  and  carefully  sweep  it  all  up  af- 
terwards. Never  flood  a  floor  but  moisten 
it  only. 

157.  Every  varnish  room  should  have 
a  thermometer  to  register  the  heat  which 
should  be  looked  after  if  it  drops  below  70° 
Fah.  for  varnish  must  not  chill.  A- hy- 
grometer should  also  be  in  the  room  so  that 
the  amount  of  humidity  can  be  ascertained. 
There  should  be  a  closet  in  the  room  in  or- 
der to  hold  the  varnishes  to  be  used.  These 
should  have  been  maintained  at  the  tem- 
perature at  which  they  are  to  be  used,  70° 
upward.  Have  some  good  strainer  in  the 
closet  in  order  that  the  varnish  may  be 
strained  before  applying  it.  This  may 
seem  superfluous  but  it  is  the  practice  fol- 
lowed by  most  carriage  varnishers— who 


CAERIAGE    PAINTING  151 

just  will  not  take  any  chances  and  for  good 
cause  too.  The  trouble  is  a  very  slight 
one,  and  it  insures  against  mishap. 

158.  Before  applying  the  varnish,  the 
surface  of  the  job  should  be  carefully 
dusted  over  with  a  soft  silk  cloth.  Next 
moss  off  the  inside  of  the  body  and  var- 
nish it,  then  proceed  to  varnish  the  outer 
part  of  the  job.  It  is  best  to  use  a  one 
inch  flowing  brush  and  run  along  the  base 
of  the  panel  and  sides  to  do  the  rise  of  the 
seat  as  one  proceeds  to  do  the  upper  edge 
of  the  panel  or  box.  Then  take  a  2  or  2% 
inch  flowing  brush  and  flow  on  the  varnish 
over  the  main  surface.  The  brush  should 
be  held  rather  flat,  and  always  pretty  well 
filled  with  varnish.  This  will  greatly  help 
the  equable  distribution  of  the  varnish 
over  the  whole  surface.  Every  precau- 
tion and  advantage  must  be  taken  advan- 
tage of  in  order  not  to  have  to  touch  the 
varnish  any  more  than  can  be  helped  in 
order  to  have  it  free  of  brush  marks  and 


152  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

if  it  is  fully  and  properly  flowed  on  it  will 
need  but  little  cross  brushing  to  bring  it 
to  a  perfect  level.  It  is  an  axiom  well 
known  of  every  carriage  varnisher  that 
the  least  brushing  of  varnish  will  produce 
the  maximum  of  lustre  and  mirror-like 
finish. 

159.  In  finishing  the  running  gears 
there  will  not  be  nearly  so  much  trouble  as 
over  the  finishing  of  the  bodies,  as  they  are 
more  or  less  rounded  and  angular,  and 
they  take  on  a  fine  lustre  but  it  requires 
skill  nevertheless.  The  greatest  care  must 
be  exercised  in  washing  and  cleaning  up, 
as  bolts  and  nuts  and  closely  angled  irons 
make  it  difficult  to  get  at  the  parts.  After 
the  rubbing,  a  small  syringe  can  be  utilized 
to  good  advantage  in  squirting  out  the 
pumince  stone  from  its  hiding  places  and 
it  will  give  the  proper  force  to  hoist  and 
wash  them  away,  after  drying  and  care- 
ful dusting.  Below  Hillick's  way  of  put- 
ting on  the  finishing  coat  on  gears  and 


CAKKIAGE    PAINTING  153 

wheels  is  given  in  his  own  words :  "  In 
finishing  the  gear  begin  at  the  front  axle 
and  proceed  to  flow  the  whole  front  end  be- 
fore wiping  np.  This  gives  the  varnish 
a  chance  to  take  its  position  on  the  sur- 
face, and  the  wiping  up  serves  to  level  out 
the  inequalities  and  remove  the  surplus. 
After  the  front,  the  rear,  then  the  reach 
and  last  the  side  bars  if  any.  A  brush 
should  be  kept  solely  for  wiping  up  the 
underside  of  axles,  head  blocks,  spring 
bars,  side  bars,  etc.  In  many  factory 
shops  the  finishers  wipe  such  parts  with 
the  palm  of  their  hands.  The  varnish 
stripings  are  thus  caught  by  the  hand 
and  distributed  in  the  form  of  a  glaze  to 
the  parts  in  question." 

160.  "In  varnishing  wheels,  which  are 
always  included  in  the  term  running  gears, 
slip  the  wheel  upon  the  revolving  jack,  and 
standing  with  the  left  side  nearest  the 
#  wheel  and  partly  facing  it,  begin  by  flow- 
ing the  sides  and  face  of  the  spokes,  reach- 


154  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

ing  the  brush  well  over  to  the  back  surface 
of  the  spokes.  Then  flow  front  of  hub. 
Next  the  inside  and  face  of  the  felloe.  Now 
whirl  the  wheel  so  that  its  rear 'surface 
takes  the  place  of  the  front.  Catch  up  and 
close  in  with  varnish  all  strips  on  the  rear 
surface  of  spokes  not  flowed  when  the 
sides  were  done.  Then  flow  rear  of  hub 
and  lastly  the  back  surface  of  the  felloe. 
Reverse  the  position  of  wheel  and  slick  up 
all  places  needing  it  and  set  away  on  a  sec- 
ond wheel  jack,  giving  the  wheel  a  sharp 
spin  necessary  to  flow  the  wheel  properly. 
Four  wheel  jacks  are  necessary.  .  .  . 
When  applying  rubbing  varnish  it  is  ad- 
visable to  flow  not  more  than  six  or  eight 
spokes  before  wiping  up." 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XXV. 

155.  What  is  said  about  the  proper  req- 
uisites which  should  be  in  the  finishing 
varnish  room? 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  155 

156.  What  is  said  concerning  the  treat- 
ment of  the  floor  of  the  varnish  room? 

157.  What  tools  and  appliances  are 
necessary  for  best  work  in  applying  finish- 
ing varnish? 

158.  How  should  the  flowing  finishing 
coat  be  applied  to  bodies? 

159.  How  should  the  running  gear  be 
finished  ? 

160.  What  is  the  best  manner  of  finish- 
ing the  wheels? 

LESSON  XXVI. 

REPAINTING   OLD    JOBS. 

161.  The  country  shop  has  really  more 
repainting  of  vehicles  to  do  than  the  ac- 
tual painting  of  new  vehicles.  It  is  not 
to  be  supposed  that  very  much  of  this  re- 
painting is  actually  done  from  the  ground 
up  as  described  in  the  previous  lessons. 
Indeed,  there  is  but  little  of  that  done,  and 
when  it  is  it  no  wise  would  differ  much 
from   the    description    given    except    that 


156  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

there  is  the  burning  off  and  cleaning  up  of 
the  old  paint  to  be  attended  to  extra. 
There  are  several  cheap  and  hurry  ways 
of  doing  this  "Crushing  up"  of  vehicles 
in  order  to  restore  them  to  a  presentable 
condition  and  gave  them  back  a  portion  of 
the  old  lustre. 

161.  Much  of  the  repair  work  done  in 
country  shops  is  really  only  l  i  touch  up  and 
varnish."  This  of  course  will  only  apply 
to  vehicles  which  are  not  in  very  bad 
shape.  Where  there  is  much  room  so  that 
the  jobs  can  be  done  "as  they  are"  with- 
out the  having  to  take  them  to  pieces  and 
a  sufficient  number  of  them  can  be  done 
at  the  same  time,  this  sort  of  work  will 
pay  very  well,  as  the  cleaning  up  will 
usually  take  up  as  much  time  as  all  the 
rest  of  the  work,  and  some  cheap  man  or 
cub  can  be  used  to  good  advantage  at  that. 
Of  course  the  shafts,  wheels  and  some- 
times the  tops  will  have  to  be  removed  for 
easier  cleaning  and  ease  of  getting  at  the 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  157 

jobs,  but  that  does  not  take  long  in  either 
the  taking  off  or  putting  back  on. 

162.  Benzine  is  the  best  dissolvent  of 
the  grease  and  dirt  that  accumulates  about 
wheel  and  axles  and  the  smivings  found 
elsewhere  are  usually  of  the  same  category 
having  been  carried  there  in  some  way. 
The  loose  inside  traps,  as  carpets,  seat 
cushings,  etc.,  should  be  removed  and 
placed  where  they  will  be  easily  found  and 
the  whole  carefully  dusted  off  and  cleaned 
up.  Then  give  the  bodies  a  slight  rubbing 
with  pumice  stone  and  water  which  must 
be  well  rinsed  off  and  the  running  gears 
must  also  be  well  washed  and  dried  with 
chamois  skin. 

163.  One  of  the  greatest  troubles 
usually  encountered  is  in  matching  up 
colors  for  a  touch  up  job.  This  will  exer- 
cise the  ingenuity  of  the  average  painter. 
He  will  gain  some  experience  in  this  line 
with  time  but  he  is  likely  to  make  some 
mistakes  at  first  for  it  .is  not  only  match- 


158  CAKEIAGE    PAINTING 

ing  the  original  colors  which  were  put  on 
the  job  when  new  which  he  has  to  cater 
to,  but  he  must  make  an  allowance  for  fad- 
ing which  in  some  of  the  reds  and  yellows 
may  amount  to  a  good  deal.  Then  again 
the  fading  is  not  universally  alike  owing 
to  some  part  of  the  job  being  better  pro- 
tected from  sunlight  than  others,  so  that 
there  is  a  Joseph's  coat  sort  of  uniformity 
to  cover  up.  There  is  one  rule  in  matching 
that  will  help  one  to  some  extent  in  his  di- 
lemma: A  color  mixed  to  dry  with  a 
good  gloss  will  reflect  more  light  than 
it  absorbs,  and  a  flat  will  absorb  more 
than  it  gives  out,  so  that  the  colors 
should  be  tested  upon  some  part  of  the 
job  in  order  to  ascertain  its  nearness  to 
the  original  as  it  is  then.  Even  with  a 
full  quota  of  varnish  most  colors  are  likely 
to  dry  out  lighter  than  they  look  when  first 
put  on. 

164.     When  the  color  is  satisfactory  in 
tone,  proceed  to  touch  up  the  felloes  and 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING  159 

all  other  places  on  the  job  from  which  the 
color  has  been  worn  away  to  the  bare 
wood,  with  lead  paint  thinned  with  linseed 
oil  to  which  has  been  added  a  little  japan. 
This  touching  up  of  the  bare  places  should 
have  been  attended  to  as  soon  as  cleaned 
in  order  that  it  may  be  nearly  dry  by  the 
time  the  colors  are  prepared  for  use  in  the 
touch  up.  As  soon  as  set  proceed  to  go 
over  them  with  the  color,  and  varnish  touch 
up.  THen  go  over  the  dressing  of  the  top 
curtains  and  dash  boards.  Then  finish  by 
varnishing  the  inside,  and  by  a  good  flow- 
ing coat  on  body  and  gears. 

165.  Many  jobs  however  require  to  be 
painted  all  over  with  one  coat  of  color  and 
varnish  and  afterwards  to  be  flowed  var- 
nished. If  there  is  any  striping  this  will 
of  course  have  to  be  done  over  if  required, 
otherwise  it  will  take  but  little  more  time 
to  go  over  the  job  than  to  match  up  a  touch 
up  of  color  varnish.  The  operator  must 
be  very  careful  not  to  cut  in  too  deep  in 


I 


160  CARRIAGE    PAINTING 

the  rubbing  with  pumice  stone  and  water, 
as  otherwise  a  lot  of  fine  cracks  will  be 
likely  to  show  up,  so  he  must  only  give  a 
very  light  rubbing. 

166.  But  many  old  jobs  are  brought  to 
the  shop  to  be  repainted  which  are  in  very 
bad  shape  and  which  really  should  be 
burned  off,  and  receive  a  complete  renewal 
of  the  painting. 

But  the  owners  will  not  stand  for  the 
cost  and  will  ask  the  painter  to  do  the  best 
he  can— but  cut  expense  out  of  it.  There 
is  no  good  way  to  do  this  and  at  best  the 
whole  method  given  is  but  a  makeshift.  If 
the  job  is  badly  cracked  and  fissured,  the 
best  thing  short  of  burning  it  off  is  to 
scrape  it  off  with  a  two  inch  scraper  down 
to  the  undercoats,  then  coat  this  over  with 
rubbing  varnish,  rub  it  with  pumice  and 
water,  or  brick  and  water  avoiding  a  close 
touch  to  the  wood.  Next  proceed  to  give 
the  job  a  coat  or  two  of  lead  color,  and 
varnish.     But  there  is  nothing  after  all 


CARRIAGE    PAINTING 


161 


that  will  take  the  place  of  burning  off  all 
the  old  paint  and  varnish,  and  rebuilding 
all  the  paint  structure  from  the  ground  up. 
It  will  cost  a  few  dollars  more  it  is  true, 
and  if  the  rig  is  in  fair  condition  it  will  be 
better,  much  better  in  the  end,  and  really 
the  more  economical,  for  the  makeshift 
will  be  as  bad  as  ever  after  a  year  or  so. 

167.  Taking  care  of  "tops  and  dash- 
boards" while  not  particularly  a  painter's 
job,  in  the  carriage  factory,  really  becomes 
a  part  of  it  in  repair  shops.  The  car- 
riage trimmer  may  have  to  make  some  re- 
pairs in  the  way  of  replacing  worn  out 
parts,  but  after  that,  he  turns  it  over  to 
the  painter,  who  must  see  to  it  that  it  is 
made  to  look  as  good  as  new,  (if  he  can). 
Leather  tops  really  require  little  more  to 
keep  them  in  good  condition  that  be- 
ing washed  with  castile  soap  and  soft 
water.  There  are  numerous  carriage  dress- 
ings upon  the  market  which  preserve  the 
enamel   of   the  leather   and   rubber   cloth 


162  CARRIAGE   PAINTING 

used  on  carriage  tops,  and  each  giving  full 
direction  as  to  their  application.  All  con- 
tain or  should  contain  neatsfoot  oil  and 
tallow  in  their  composition,  in  order  to 
soften  the  leather  and  to  prevent  its  crack- 
ing, but  of  course  they  do  not  carry  an 
enamel  with  them.  The  addition  of  a  little 
beeswax  adds  some  lustre,  but  not  as  much 
as  the  average  man  likes  to  see. 

QUESTIONS  ON  LESSON  XXVI. 

161.  What  is   said  in   a   general   way 
about  the  painting  of  carriages? 

162.  Which  is  the  best  way  to  clean  up 
an  old  job  for  color  and  varnish? 

163.  How  are  colors  for  touch  up  work 
to  be  matched? 

164.  How  is  the  touching  up  done? 

165.  How  is  one  coat  of  color  and  var- 
nish, and  one  coat  of  varnish  done? 

166.  What  is  said  about  old  jobs  that 
are  badly  cracked? 

167.  How    should    carriage    tops    and 
dashes  be  taken  care  of? 


INDEX 

A 

Page 

Amaranth  red    34 

Artist's  flat  and  round  brushes 50,  51 

Artist's  red  sable  brushes 53,  54 

B 

Basic  principles  of  carriage  painting 20,  21 

Blue  group  of  colors 98-100, 105 

Glazing   coats    103, 104 

Methods  of  compounding 98, 102 

Uniformity  of    98 

Body  Trestle    63,  64 

Bottle  green   33 

Brewster's  greens    33, 107 

Bronzes    " 39 

Brown  group  of  colors 31, 100 

Principal  uses  of  100 

C 

Carbonate  of  lime  (Whiting)    38,  39 

Carriage  browns    32 

Carriage  japan   41 

Chamois  skins    v 39 

Chiselled  varnish  brush   44 

Chrome  green    33, 105 

•  •  • 

111 


IT  INDEX 


s 


Coach  painter's  brush  46 

Color  cards   35 

Color  coats    96-98 

D 

Difficulties  in  striping   127, 128 

Drop  black    30 

E 
English   rermilions 108-110 


F 


Filling  coats   26 

Finishing  varnish  brush 50,  51 

Flat  rarnish  brush 46,  47 

G 

Gasoline  torch    56-60 

Green  colors    33,  34-106 

Compounding   of    34 

Tendency  to  separate 105 

Transparent  Greens    106,  107 

Gold  Leaf    39 

H 

How  to  apply  colors 110-118 

Humidity  of  rarnish  room 150 

I 

Indian  red 116 

Irory   black ."" 30-90 


INDEX  v 

J 

Japans  and  varnishes 40, 41 

Japans  for  carriage  work 41 

K 

Keg  lead   37 

Knives,   scraping    56-58 

Knives,   putty    56,  57 

Knifing  in  Lead  Coat 75 

L 

Lettering    . v. 52, 13« 

Gold  irerk    137, 138 

Pencils 52-54 

Various  styles  of 137 

Linseed  oil    23 

Uses  of  in  painting 23-27 

London  smoke   102 

M 

Materials  used  in  carriage  painting 28-42 

Bone  black   30 

Coach  black    30,  99 

Drop  black   30 

Gas  black    30 

Ivory  black  30-99 

Lamp  black  in  oil 29 

Prussian  blue   30,  31 

Monograms    138, 139 

N 
New  jobs — Preparing  for 65,  66 


INDEX 

0 

Olive  green   33 

Ornamental  work    21, 125-127 

Advantages  of   126 

P 

Painters'  round  duster 46 

Paris  Green    33, 107 

Patent  brush  keeper 56,  60 

Pompeian  red .    35 

Primer — What  is  the  best 69 

Priming — Function  of    65 

Lead  and  oil 68 

Methods  of   .  . 68-71 

Preparations  for    67,  68 

When  to  prime   66 

Lead  coats    71-75 

Rough  stuffed   73 

Rub  lead  coat   74 

Knifing  in  lead  coat 75 

Preparing  for  new  jobs 65,  66 

Pumice  stone    38 

Putty — Formulas  for  making 78-81 

Putty  knives    » 56,  57 

Putties  and  puttying 77-81 

R 

Red  and  brown  lakes 116 

Red  group  of  colors 34, 107 

How  to  apply 110-113 

Sources  of 107-115 

Uses  of 107 


INDEX  vii 

Red  Oxides 35 

Repainting   old  jobs 155-162 

Benzine  as  a  dissolvent 157 

Matching  colors   157, 158 

Rough   stuffing   86-95 

Formulas   for  making 88-90 

Materials  for   87 

Method  of  applying 91-93 

Object  of  86,87 

Rubbing  down    94,  95 

Running  Gears — How  to  finish 152-154 

S 

Sandpapering — Rules  for   81-83 

Scrolls 132 

Scraping  knives   56-58 

Short   reds    34 

Siennas — Raw  and  burnt 31 

Sponges    60-62 

Stripes    131, 132 

Striping    21-127 

Brushes  for 128 

Difficulties   in    127, 128 

Material  for 129, 130 

Width  of 131, 132 

Striping  pencils 51-54 

Sword  striping  brush , 54,  55 

T 

Thinners  for  colors 39 

Tools  used  in  carriage  painting 43-64 

Transfer  ornaments    39 


Till  INDEX 

Transfer  paper— How  to  use 132-135 

Tuscaa  reds . .  34, 115 

U 

Ultramarine  blue 31-102 

Umbers — Raw  and  burnt .   31 

V 

Van  Dyke  Brown 31, 101 

Varnishes  and  Tarnishing 140-152 

Flowing  coat   147 

Rubbing    141-147 

Rubbing  coats   141, 142 

Rule*  for   147, 148, 152 

Surfacing    143-147 

Tarnish  room   149, 150 

Floor  of   150 

Humidity  of 150 

Location  of  140 

Vermilion  reds   34,  35 

Venetian  red   35 

Vienna  brown 101 

Volatile  ails .' 4« 


W 

Wagon  work 132 

Wheel  jack   61-63 

White  group  of  colors 36, 120 

Progression  of  a  white  job 121-124 

Uses  of  in  carriage  painting 120, 121 

White  lead 36 


INDEX  IX 

Y 

Yellow  group  of  colors .- 36, 117 

For  wagons    118, 11§ 

Methods  of  applying 117,  lit 

Uses  of  in  carriage  painting 117 

Y«llow  lakes  for  glazing 36 

Y«llow   ockrw    3« 

Z 

Zinc   whit*    UK 


Webster  Family  Library  of  Veterinary  Medicine 

Cummings  S  y  Medicine  at 

Tufts 

20  ^d 

Worth  Gra  -.01536 


